Remember to fight forgetfulness.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

You are a woman who forgets names and misplaces the car keys. Are you losing your memory? Probably not, according to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. For the majority of healthy women, there is very little change in thinking or memory before age 75. Even then, changes are minimal. Forgetfulness that women often report at midlife could be due to stress, depression, increased responsibilities, or just being out of practice at memorizing.

Experts suggest these ways to reduce mental decline:

* Maintain social contacts. Studies suggest that people with active lives are better protected against mental decline.

* Stay physically active. A study showed that older women who started a walking program demonstrated lower levels of cognitive decline than sedentary females when tested six to eight...