Iran born Prof. Hamid Sohrabi from the Centre of Healthy Ageing at Murdoch University came to talk about Healthy Ageing, and he started off with some interesting Australian statistics: within the next 30 years or so people over 65 will outnumber children aged up to 17 years; 7 in 10 over 65s are overweight or obese; and one in five over 65s have to curtail activities due to ill health. The conditions in which people live affect the ageing process and researchers have identified so-called Blue Zones around the globe where people tend to live longer than in other places. People in these zones typically have a goal in life, they follow a good diet, and they exercise. Physical activity slows the ageing process as does a good night’s sleep. Most people tend to experience changes in their cognition and these changes can start to occur somewhere between the ages of 46 and 60. Delayed recall happens to people of all ages, and whilst older people need more time to learn, they do not forget more quickly. The basic problem is the speed of information processing. Dementia can be caused by genetic factors but this is rare; the more common triggers are lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, lack of mental exercise, smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Such factors cause a gradual impairment of cognitive skills, and Prof. Sohrabi gave examples of things that can cause brain atrophy such as amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles. Interestingly dementia (including Alzheimer’s) has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in Australia. The Alzheimer’s Association has established a network called World Wide Fingers which facilitates the sharing of experiences and data, and plans global initiatives to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment occurring. So take exercise, and keep mentally active!