Category Archives: Amelioration/Prevention

Lifestyle Affects Both Alzheimer’s & FTD

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Alzheimer’s disease (60-80%) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (10-20%) make up the two largest populations of dementia sufferers (Dementia with Lewy bodies comprises another 5%). Two fairly recently published studies have examined the effects of lifestyle changes on both Alzheimer’s and FTD. Both studies considered the participants’ physical and cognitive activities to create a definition of “active lifestyle” for the participants. For both the Alzheimer’s and FTD studies, participants with the greatest activity scores showed the greatest resistance to cognitive decline (for those not already showing mild cognitive impairment) or the greatest reduction in rate of cognitive decline (for those already showing some mild cognitive impairment).

Here are links to three media articles on lifestyle & Alzheimer’s:
People at Risk of Alzheimer’s May Improve Brain Function With Individualized Treatment
Lifestyle changes improved cognition in people at risk for Alzheimers, study shows
Could Regimented, Prescribed & Individualized Lifestyle Changes Improve Cognition in People at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Here is a link to the research article on lifestyle & Alzheimer’s:
Individualized clinical management of patients at risk for Alzheimer’s dementia

Here are links to three media articles on lifestyle & FTD:
Lifestyle changes may combat a dementia that strikes people in their 40s and 50s
Lifestyle Choices Could Slow Familial Frontotemporal Dementia
Active lifestyle may slow inherited frontotemporal dementia

Here is a link to the research report on lifestyle & FTD:
Active lifestyles moderate clinical outcomes in autosomal dominant frontotemporal degeneration

All links have been added to Health > Physical Exercise and Alzheimers > Mental Exercise.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Mental Exercise, Physical Exercise

Exercise & Brain: Four 2019 Articles

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At the end of this past December, the NY Times published an overview/review (Move Your Body, Bolster Your Brain) of four 2019 articles covering research work on physical exercise and brain health. We’ll recap these below, providing additional media links along the way.

A Single Workout Can Alter the Brain (How Exercise Affects Our Memory)

A study of healthy older adults shows that just one 30 minute session of exercise increased activation in the brain circuits associated with memory — including the hippocampus. The latter shrinks with age and is the brain region attacked first in Alzheimer’s disease.

Here are two additional media articles:
Exercise activates memory neural networks in older adults
30 Minutes of Aerobic Exercise Supercharges Semantic Memory

Here is a link to the research publication:
Semantic Memory Activation After Acute Exercise in Healthy Older Adults

How Exercise May Sharpen Memory (How Exercise May Help Keep Our Memory Sharp)

New evidence reaffirms suggestions that exercise-induced irisin, a hormone, may protect against neurodegeneration and boost memory in both humans and mice.

Here are three additional media articles:
How exercise may protect against Alzheimer’s
Exercise-Linked Irisin May Protect Against Neurodegeneration
‘Exercise Hormone’ Could Slow Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Here is a link to the research publication:
Exercise-linked FNDC5/irisin rescues synaptic plasticity and memory defects in Alzheimer’s models

Weight Training Changes the Brain (How Weight Training Changes the Brain)

Until recently the majority of research on exercise and brain health has been done with aerobic exercise, which indeed, has show that exercise is good for your brain. Now, new work using lab rats has demonstrated that weight training can overcome cognitive impairment and even jumpstart the creation of new neurons.

Here are three additional media articles:
Weight Training – Good for the Brain Too?
Research shows surprising link between weightlifting and cognition
Strong Rat. Smart Rat. Got That?

Here is a link to the research publication:
Resistance-exercise training ameliorates LPS-induced cognitive impairment concurrent with molecular signaling changes in the rat dentate gyrus

The Right Kind of Exercise to Lower Dementia Risk (The Right Kind of Exercise May Boost Memory and Lower Dementia Risk)

It is never too late to begin exercising. This study shows that even starting in your 60’s, you can reduce your risk of dementia. Short intense sessions may be the most helpful.

Here are three additional media articles:
Improved fitness can mean living longer without dementia
Being Physically Fit Reduces the Risk of Dementia
Robust Workouts Guard Brains & Health at Any Age

Here is a link to the research publication:
Temporal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of dementia incidence and mortality: a population-based prospective cohort study

All the links above have been added to Health > Physical Exercise

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Mental Agility, Physical Exercise

Physical Activity And Dementia

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A study published early this year shows that there is an association between the level of a person’s physical activity (even light activity) and the level of cognitive ability, even if the person displays behavioral signs of Alzheimer’s or other dementia. While the study does not demonstrate a causal link, the known links between exercise and heart health make adding or maintaining physical movement a good bet for reducing the risk of, or diminishing the effects of, Alzheimer’s.

Here are four media articles on the work:
Activity sharpens even dementia-affected brains, report suggests
Daily Movement — Even Household Chores — May Boost Brain Health In Elderly
Study Links Moving More in Older Age to Sharper Memory
Dementia care: The one activity you need to do in old age proven to protect the brain
Research article:
Physical activity, common brain pathologies, and cognition in community-dwelling older adults

A man epitomizing using physical activity to fight Alzheimer’s:
Meet the man living with Alzheimer’s who climbs the same mountain every day

All links have been added to Health > Physical Exercise and Alzheimers > Amelioration/Prevention. The last link above has also been added to Alzheimers > Coping & Caregivers Coping Stories.

Category: Amelioration/Prevention, Physical Exercise

Once Again, Lifestyle Counts

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Another new study, involving 196,383 UK adults age 60 and older, has re-confirmed the importance of following healthy lifestyles for lowering your dementia risk — even if you have a high genetic risk for dementia. The study results showed a statistically significant difference: 1.13% of those with a healthy lifestyle developed dementia later in life compared with 1.78% of those with a less healthy lifestyle. The definition of healthy lifestyle included the following:

  • avoid smoking tobacco
  • be physically active
  • drink alcohol in moderation, or not at all
  • healthy diet: following recommendations on dietary priorities for cardiometabolic health

Here are three media articles on the study:
Your lifestyle can lower your dementia risk, even if you have high genetic risk, study says
Healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk of dementia
Is healthy lifestyle associated with lower risk of dementia regardless of genetic risk?
The study was simultaneously presented at the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference together with JAMA publication here:
Association of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk With Incidence of Dementia

Another study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association Conference looked at similar issues. It tracked 2,765 individuals over about 10 years, rating them 1 point for maintaining each of the following healthy behaviors:

  • a low-fat diet
  • did not smoke
  • exercised at least 150 minutes each week at moderate-to-vigorous levels
  • drank moderately
  • engaged in some late-life cognitive activities

Those who rated 4 or 5 (i.e., participated in 4 or 5 of the healthy behaviors) were were 60% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared with participants who rated only 0 or 1 (i.e. participated in none or one of the healthy behaviors). The results did not vary by race or gender.
Here are two media articles on the work (formal publication is not yet available):
It May Be Possible to Counter Some of the Genetic Risk of Alzheimer’s With These Lifestyle Changes
Doing these five things could decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 percent, new study says

All links have been added to Alzheimers > Amelioration/Prevention, Alzheimers > RiskFactors, Alzheimers > Mental Exercise, Health > Diet, and to Health > Physical Exercise.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Diet, Mental Exercise, Physical Exercise, Risk Factors

Outdoors for Physical & Mental Health (Green!)

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Some time back, we posted Green for Health on studies, small and large, showing that the greener one’s environment, the greater the boost to one’s health. Now a new study shows that getting out of the city and into nature (forest, park, beach, whatever) will improve both your physical and mental health.
Here are two media articles on the study:
Spending time in nature boosts health, study finds
Two-hour ‘dose’ of nature significantly boosts health – study
Here is the original research report:
Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing

Combining this work with that we pointed to in
More On Air Pollution & Dementia
and
Air Pollution: Shorter Life, More Dementia Risk, Worse Thinking
strengthens the case for trying to maximize time spent outside of dense urban environments.

This is particularly strengthened by another air pollution study showing that very large numbers of pollution particles are found in the hearts of urban dwellers.
Media article:
Billions of air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers
Original research article:
Combustion- and friction-derived magnetic air pollution nanoparticles in human hearts

All links have been added to Alzheimers > Amelioration/Prevention and to Alzheimers > RiskFactors

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Risk Factors

World Health Organization (WHO) Dementia Recommendations

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The WHO recently released it’s first recommendations regarding prevention or delay of dementia. They include: getting regular physical exercise, not using tobacco, drinking less alcohol, maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and eating a healthy diet — particularly a Mediterranean diet. WHO also warned against taking dietary supplements such as vitamins B and E in an effort to combat cognitive decline and dementia.
Additionally, “An essential element of every national dementia plan is support for carers of people with dementia,” said Dr Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO. “Dementia carers are very often family members who need to make considerable adjustments to their family and professional lives to care for their loved ones.

Here are five media articles about the WHO report, including two covering expert reactions to the report:
Eat well, exercise more: New global guidelines to reduce risk of dementia
6 Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Dementia, According To A New Report
WHO issues first advice on dementia: exercise and don’t smoke
expert reaction to WHO Guidelines on risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia
How to cut your dementia risk, according to experts

Here are two WHO press releases, together with a set of WHO links on management of dementia:
Adopting a healthy lifestyle helps reduce the risk of dementia
WHO guidelines on risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia
Evidence-based recommendations for management of dementia in non-specialized health settings

All links have been added to Alzheimer’s > Amelioration/Prevention.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention

Mild Cognitive Impairment Risk: Lowering Blood Pressure Can Help

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the precursor stage to serious dementia. It can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment. These problems are more substantial than the ordinary normal age-related mental changes. It’s well known that if you have high blood pressure, it is very beneficial to your heart to lower it, perhaps dramatically, to a systolic blood pressure less than 120 mmHg. A new study shows that such lowering can also measurably reduce the risk of MCI.

Here are six media articles on the work:
Lowering blood pressure may help cut risk of early dementia, study finds
Lowering blood pressure could cut risk factor for dementia
Mild cognitive impairment: Reducing blood pressure can lower risk
Treating high blood pressure could reduce risk of memory issues, study finds
Study Offers Hint of Hope for Staving Off Dementia in Some People
Major New Study Finds Lowering Blood Pressure Can Prevent Cognitive Decline, but Questions Remain
Here is the National Institutes of Health press release on the study:
Does intensive blood pressure control reduce dementia?

Here is a link to the study itself:
Effect of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control on Probable Dementia

All links have been added to Alzheimer’s > Amelioration/Prevention and Alzheimer’s > Risk Factors.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Risk Factors

Irisin, Exercise & Alzheimer’s

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Irisin is a messenger hormone generated by muscles during exercise. Recent research shows that higher levels of irisin circulating in the blood is correlated with diminished risk of Alzheimer’s: One more reason to maintain at least a moderate exercise program.

Here are seven media articles about irisin, exercise, and Alzheimer’s, together with a research review article, and the most recent research article:

The molecule that helps exercise protect the brain from Alzheimer’s
Exercise produces irisin — irisin might prevent Alzheimer’s, researchers say
‘Exercise Hormone’ Could Slow Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
A hormone released during exercise might protect against Alzheimer’s
To Burn Fat, You Could Exercise … or Shiver
How Exercise May Help Keep Our Memory Sharp
Irisin: The “Exercise Hormone” has Powerful Health Benefits

Research article:
Exercise-linked FNDC5/irisin rescues synaptic plasticity and memory defects in Alzheimer’s models
Research review article:
The Role of Irisin in Alzheimer’s Disease

All links have been added to Alzheimers > Amelioration/Prevention and Health > Physical Exercise.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Physical Exercise

Your Heart And Your Brain

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One is in your head, the other in your chest. But of course they’re deeply interconnected. Looking at it from your brain’s point of view, what’s good for your heart is also good for your head. A major French study reported in August quantifies that, using the American Heart Association (AHA)’s notion of Life’s Simple 7:

Blood pressure
Blood sugar
Cholesterol
Diet
Exercise
Smoking status
Weight management

The better one manages each of these, the lower one’s risk of dementia.

Here are links to media articles about heart health and dementia:
The more you do to promote your cardiovascular health, the lower your risk of dementia
Midlife heart health shows a link with future risk of dementia
Better heart health may mean lower dementia risk in older people
These 7 heart-healthy factors could cut your risk of dementia, a new study finds

Here are two health organization posts on heart health and dementia:
Dementia and Heart Health: Are They Related?
Risk factors for heart disease linked to dementia

Research article:
Association of Cardiovascular Health Level in Older Age With Cognitive Decline and Incident Dementia

All links have been added to Aging, Alzheimer’s > Amelioration/Prevention and Alzheimer’s > Risk Factors

Category: Aging, Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention, Risk Factors

Nine Factors Contributing to Dementia — You Can Manage Them

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The Lancet publishing group organized a commission of medical experts to address the state of Prevention, Intervention, and Care of Dementia. The report was presented in July of 2017:
The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care.
(The document is only http, not https; just tell your browser to go ahead anyway.) Nine specific contributing factors to the risk of dementia were listed, all of them manageable by individuals. Collectively, these factors accounted for more than a third of the risk of dementia. The report groups these factors by early-/mid-/late-life periods of major effect, and assigns a percentage number indicating the reduction in dementia risk that would be achieved by properly handling that factor. These factors, grouped and with assigned risk reduction values, were:

Factor % responsible for risk
Early-Life:
Failing to complete secondary education – –  8%
Mid-Life:
Hearing loss – –  9%
High blood pressure – –  2%
Obesity – –  1%
Late-Life
Smoking – –  5%
Failing to seek early treatment for Depression – –  4%
Physical inactivity (lack of exercise) – –  3%
Social isolation – –  2%
Type 2 diabetes – –  1%

Total potential risk reduction: 35%

The report also mentioned several additional lifestyle factors or life events for which conclusive data were not available, but which are likely to be significant for risk reduction:

  • Adhering to the Mediterranean diet
  • Limiting alcoholic intake to only moderate amounts
  • Avoidance of head injuries
  • Management of sleep disorders
  • Bilingualism
  • Living away from major roads

The following excellent info graphic about the factors appears in the report:

It is definitely worth noting that the three major interventions recommended by the expert panel of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) were:

Exercise, Manage Blood Pressure, Engage in Brain Training.

These solidly overlap with the Lancet recommendations. (See 3 Good Things To Do For Your Brain: Exercise, Manage Blood Pressure, Brain Training).

Here are four media articles about the Lancet report:
Nine lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk, study says
Lifestyle changes could prevent a third of dementia cases, report suggests
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720094907.htm
Is Dementia Preventable?

All links have been added to Alzheimer’s > Amelioration/Prevention.

Category: Alzheimers/Dementia, Amelioration/Prevention
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