|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Exercise Significantly Reduces Risk of Dementia in
Senior Citizens
Jan. 16, 2006 A new study, and maybe the best to
date, joins a growing library of information indicating that regular
exercise may delay or prevent dementia in senior citizens. The new
research says older adults who exercised at least three times a week
were much less likely to develop dementia than those who were less
active.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Evidence Growing that Alzheimer's Risk Greatly
Diminished by Exercise
New study says exercise in middle age
important
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
Oct. 4, 2005 A new study published today adds to
the growing evidence that exercise particularly if it starts early and
is maintained over time - is beneficial in preventing dementia and
Alzheimers disease. The new study focused on the physical activity
levels of older people when they were middle aged and concludes being
physically active in midlife can significantly decrease the risk of
dementia and Alzheimers.
Read more...
Use it or Lose it?
Brain Cell Activity Increases Levels of Key
Ingredient in Alzheimer's Plaques
"Cognitive idleness is not good from the perspective
of Alzheimer's risk"
By Michael Purdy
Dec. 23, 2005 - Increased communication between
brain cells increases levels of amyloid beta, the key ingredient in
Alzheimer's brain plaques, scientists at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis have found.
Read
more...
Alzheimers May Result from Lifestyle Habits
Preventive measures earlier in life may reduce
cognitive decline
June 19, 2005 - A series of new research studies
examining topics including level of social activity, heart disease risk
factors, education, consumption of fruit and vegetable juices, exercise,
and alcohol intake add to the growing body of scientific evidence that
lifestyle habits are closely linked to risk of Alzheimers disease and
dementia, according to reports presented today.
Read more...
Read more on
Alzheimer's & Dementia |
|
The study did not demonstrate directly that
exercise reduces risk of dementia, but it joins a growing body of
observational research pointing to an association between exercise and
cognitive decline, say scientists at the National Institute on Aging
(NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, which funded the study.
The research, which will be reported in tomorrow's
issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, was conducted by Eric B.
Larson, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the Group Health Cooperative (GHC),
the University of Washington, and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System
in Seattle, WA.
Larson and co-investigators followed 1,740 GHC
members age 65 or older for an average of 6.2 years between 1994 and
2003. When the study began, the participants -- all of whom were tested
and found to be cognitively normal -- reported the number of days per
week they engaged in at least 15 minutes of physical activity, such as
walking, hiking, bicycling, aerobics, or weight training.
Their cognitive function was then assessed, and new
cases of dementia were identified, every 2 years.
By the end of the study, the rate of developing
dementia was significantly lower for those who exercised more -- 13.0
per 1,000 "person years" for those who exercised three or more times
weekly, compared with 19.7 per 1,000 "person years" for those who
exercised fewer than three times per week -- a 32 percent reduction in
risk.
"Physical activity has been shown to be beneficial
for health and aging in a number of areas," says Dallas Anderson, Ph.D.,
program director for population studies in the Dementias of Aging Branch
of NIA's Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program.
"This emerging association between exercise and
cognitive health is increasingly important to understand." The NIA is
beginning to support clinical trials which seek to test exercise for its
direct effect on cognitive function.
Such research, Anderson says, should help sort out
whether exercise reduces risk of cognitive decline or whether other
factors related to exercise, such as increased social interaction, play
a role. Additional study also may provide information on the possible
merits of varying types of exercise.
Additional information
For information about Alzheimer's disease, visit
the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center website at
http://www.alzheimers.org, or call the ADEAR Center toll free at
1-800-438-4380.
For information about participation in AD clinical
trials, visit
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ (search for Alzheimer's disease
trials).
The ADEAR Center is sponsored by the NIA to provide
information to the public and health professionals about AD and
age-related cognitive change and may be contacted at the website and
phone number above for a variety of publications and fact sheets, as
well as information on clinical trials.
The NIA also offers a free 80-page booklet,
*Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging*, which provides
consumers with valuable information, including suggested exercises. The
booklet is available in English and Spanish. The booklet and video may
be ordered by calling 1-800-222-2225 or visiting the NIA Information
Center Website at
http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation. (The booklet can also be
downloaded from the website.)
Read NBC In-depth Report on this research - including video
Click here to Search SeniorJournal.com for more on
this subject
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
