CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook joins "CBS Mornings" to explain how to recognize the difference between normal aging and signs that may point to a more serious cognitive issue — and what to do if you're concerned.

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook discussed the differences between normal aging and early signs of cognitive decline. He explained that while occasional forgetfulness, such as misplacing keys, is common, more serious signs include not remembering the purpose of familiar objects or experiencing changes in mood and executive function.

Dr. LaPook emphasised the importance of involving family, friends, and clinicians in recognising these changes, as well as the value of cognitive testing in certain professions. He also highlighted steps to maintain brain health, such as managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, and engaging in activities that stimulate the brain.

How to spot the early signs of cognitive decline

Speaking of burritos, let's talk about being healthy. In today's Health Watch, age played a huge role, of course, in the last election, but it's something that we all have to face. If you're lucky, right? The older you get, maybe you feel yourself slowing down a little bit, or you see a loved one becoming more forgetful than usual. But when does normal aging turn into something you should be concerned about? Here to break it all down is CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LePoucq. Dr. LePoucq, thank you for being here. How are you? So, a lot of people don't even like talking about this, right? There's a whole stigma surrounding aging. Yeah, I think that's the theme for today. We talk about dementia so many times, but the theme for today is, people say, like, how do I know if I'm really losing it? I was in makeup and I said to everybody, just a little survey here, what's your biggest fear as you get older? Immediately, losing my mind. So, it's one thing we say, you know, with kind of tongue-in-cheek, it's one thing if you can't find your car keys, it's another thing if you find them and you don't know what they do. So, that's the difference between sort of just, I forgot where something is or why I walked into a room and, like, I'm not thinking well, executive function. And remember that dementia is a big category. There are lots of things that can cause dementia. It's not just Alzheimer's, although Alzheimer's is the most common. There is low B12. There is low thyroid. There is frontotemporal. There's Parkinson's. What are those things? There are different conditions that have dementia as a part of it and also vascular dementia. So, when you think about, well, what can I do about it, which is really what everybody wants to know, right, is first you have to make the diagnosis. And that involves not only the patient, you know, and then a good relationship with the physician, right, or the physician who really knows them or a clinician who knows them, but also the family and friends. Right now, there's such a stigma that people, well, I don't want to really say something. And the early signs can be, you know, having mood changes, of course, memory changes, missing appointments, things like that that may be subtle. And this interesting literature that the more educated you are and the more intelligent you are, the more you can kind of hide it for a while. But then when you finally get symptoms, you can kind of fall off a cliff. So, let's talk about cognitive tests for a second. You've got a clip from a Sunday morning interview with a doctor who thinks they're a good idea for certain jobs. Let's take a look at that real quick. Dr. Katlik, 72, says tests like these actually help fight ageism by focusing on function rather than on chronological age. I think you can make a very strong case for anybody who's in a high-impact profession. Doctors, airline pilots, high government officials, they should have some sort of screening at some age. In fact, I would take away the mandatory retirement for airline pilots and others. If you're okay, the test will show you're okay. What do you think about that? I think it's a great idea. I went down to Baltimore. That's Dr. Mark Katlik, who's a thoracic surgeon. He said, look, in my hospital, when surgeons reach 75, they have to do neurocognitive testing. And people come from all over the country. He said they come kicking and screaming. But most of them pass it. But, you know, I saw what they do. They do sort of these neurological tests and these physical tests. But, Dr. Pook, in the home, what can people do if they're seeing signs and they want to approach the person in a positive way? So, that involves empathy, I believe, right? And understanding that this is the most threatening thing you can say to somebody. So, they may recoil from it. I think it's a good idea to not only talk to the, you know, whoever the person is, you know, gently. Do you think, I'm wondering, have you noticed? But the physician needs to do that, too. And the family members should not hesitate to contact the clinician. That's okay to do. That's not a HIPAA violation. It's a HIPAA violation the other way around if the doctor or clinician, without permission, contacts. But they can get input. And then there's stuff to do. For example, a lot of dementia is vascular. So, control your blood pressure. Make sure that your lipids are right, your cholesterol is right. Make sure, if you have diabetes, that it's under control. If you're obese, lose weight. That'll help the brain? These are all things. What's good for the heart is good for the head. We don't have any time left, but one-word answer. Do crosswords help? Yes. Okay, great. Anything that gets your brain going. Crosswords are torture and I will never do that. Unless it's so frustrating. You must be so good at crossword puzzles. I will never do a crossword puzzle ever in my life. Dr. LeFouque, thank you. Are you saying they make you cross? They make me very cross. He's a witty man. The brain is working. I appreciate it, doctor.

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