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Researchers say the evidence is growing that a consistent exercise routine can help you avoid dementia.
There is no treatment yet and no vaccine.
But new methods of fighting dementia and Alzheimer's disease continue to emerge.
Exercise has been identified as a way of delaying or alleviating the disease.
And, even if its effectiveness has not been proven yet, the evidence begins to accumulate.
The latest comes from a study that found that patients with a rare, early and hereditary form of the disease who exercised for at least 2.5 hours a week had better cognitive performance and fewer signs of Alzheimer's only those who did not do it.
The study, published Tuesday, suggests that the beneficial effects of exercise in patients with Alzheimer's disease could be beneficial, even for those who are at greatest risk of developing the disease.
This corroborates suggestions from previous studies that exercise has beneficial effects, including slowing down cognitive decline in healthy people, as well as in those who already have dementia.
Some studies have even found that exercise may be linked to a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
However, many questions remain unanswered, including whether there may be other factors – better nutrition, a more social way of life, and so on. – that people who exercise more could have and that could be the main reason for these benefits.
"We see a separation between those who exercise and those who do not, but many studies are still observers," Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor of medicine Geriatric at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina who has studied the relationship between exercise and cognitive impairment, Healthline said.
"That raises the question, is there anything else or does it happen?"
Baker, who was not involved in the latest study, said she was conducting clinical trials to try to address such issues.
For now, she said that the scientific consensus that has emerged on aerobic exercise is the most effective type of physical activity and that it makes the difference for those who are already more exposed to factors such as aging, cognitive disorders and genetics.
But other studies could change this image.
"That does not mean that exercise does not help the younger ones. It's just that we do not have tools to know if that can help us, "said Baker.
She added that other types of exercises can also be beneficial. But the mechanisms of aerobic exercise – in which heart rate and breathing are high for a prolonged period – seem to correspond to the benefits.
Why exercise seems to work may have to do with the benefits of exercise to cardiovascular health.
"There is evidence that high blood pressure and good cardiovascular health are actually beneficial to the brain," Rebecca Edelmayer, Ph.D., director of scientific engagement at Alzheimer's Association, told Healthline.
She said that this could be due to the decrease in the diminished performance of small blood vessels in the brain and the increase in the efficiency of pumping oxygen into the body.
Baker noted that exercise can combat dementia by increasing the number of synaptic connections, improving cell walls to allow better nutrient exchange and improving vascular health.
"So, in fact, clean the pipes so that the blood can reach the tissues it is supposed to provide," she said.
In the new study, participants all had the early genetic mutation.
Their physical activity was classified as low or high depending on whether they had at least 150 minutes of exercise per week or not.
People with a high level of physical activity were diagnosed with lighter dementia 15 years later than those with lower levels. As a general rule, people with this mutation contract Alzheimer's disease between 30 and 60 years of age.
That figure of 150 minutes may not be a magic number, but it will probably take a sustained exercise to see the effects, Baker said.
She said the current consensus is about 30 to 40 minutes, three to four times a week.
There is enough evidence that the Alzheimer's Association has identified exercise as one of the best lifestyle habits to reduce the risk of dementia.
He also recommends following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep, staying social and challenging his brain by learning or puzzles.
The organization is conducting a large two-year study on the most beneficial lifestyle factors.
The great thing about this kind of action, says Baker, is that all side effects are positive.
Although more exercise does not slow down cognitive decline, the only risk you run is to regularly get all the other benefits of exercise.
"Often, the field just wants to find a magic pill, but (studies like the one released Tuesday) move the conversation forward, compelling us to consider the value of non-pharmacological interventions, which are so often put aside because they are hard. "she says.
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