Compelling science versus fuel for hypochondriacs – you judge
This story may well strike a nerve in those of us who tend to worry about our health – or the sky falling on our heads. Picture the dinner table debate; Angelina Jolie's name bandied about for having the breast cancer gene and getting hers lopped off as a precaution, and/or wives' teasing their husbands for carrying on as if they're dying when they catch a cold. But I will confess, I have an 89-year-old mother who raised three sets of twins and two singles who regularly confused our names growing up and now struggles to remember their partner's names. That's the overshare, not the confession. The confession is that I worry that my forgetfulness may be due to a gene I inherited – upon reading this I had a brief surge of fear-driven attraction to a gym. The evidence of a very targeted diet and rigorous exercise improving cognitive function and memory is compelling, from many studies I've come across as a health journalist. Here's the latest one. Judge for yourself whether I fall into the coughing-husband bracket, but just please leave my breasts out of it. And perhaps, see where you fit in. – Chris Bateman