I went to an all-day class on Alzheimers and other dementias in the elderly. The lecturer, Dr. Mary O’ Brien, covered some clues to prevention for us boomers. We are a demographic bulge that has been clumping through the population like Godzilla and we’ll destroy Tokyo our health system if we don’t take care of ourselves.

Some emerging research gives reason to hope. A famous ongoing study of an order of nuns who generously agreed to participate in research on aging suggests that verbal skills build up a neurological reserve. So you can talk a good game even when your brain looks like a lump of cottage cheese.

There’s also the recent evidence that coffee may protect the aging brain. The caloric restriction experiments, I’m afraid, will probably back up the theory that overeating is bad for you mentally as well as cosmetically.

So what’s the profile of the last boomer who can still pass the Mini Mental Status Exam?

She will probably be a coffee-swilling blogger who managed to break the habit of eating corn chips while sitting at the computer.

Read Kmareka. Comment on our site. It will keep you smart and mentally sharp, so you can aggravate many generations to come.