| If you hear a little voice inside say, "Go for a | | | | Virginia School of Medicine looked at the |
| walk," that might beyour brain telling you what it | | | | association betweenwalking exercise and the risk |
| needs. | | | | of dementia in men aged 71 to 93. |
| I've just come across two new studies that | | | | The Virginia team collected three years of |
| reveal how the simpleact of taking a walk each | | | | exercise data on morethan 2,200 men enrolled in |
| day may offer significant protection fromone of | | | | the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. At theoutset of |
| the most feared of all health problems. | | | | the study, none of the men had been diagnosed |
| Mission: healthy cognition | | | | withdementia or conditions that would prevent |
| Cognitive decline is a symptom that signals the | | | | them from walking |
| possible onset of | | | | (such as stroke or Parkinson's disease). Over the |
| Alzheimer's disease, which is the leading cause of | | | | course of severalyears, two follow up |
| dementiaamong aging adults. In September, the | | | | examinations were conducted to |
| Journal of the American | | | | assessneurological health. |
| Medical Association (JAMA) published two studies | | | | Almost 160 of the men developed dementia |
| thatspecifically address the effects of light | | | | during the studyperiod. Researchers found that |
| exercise on cognitivedecline in older women and | | | | men who walked between a quartermile and one |
| dementia in elderly men. | | | | mile per day had a lower risk of dementia than |
| Researchers at the Harvard School of Public | | | | thosewho walked less than a quarter mile each |
| Health conducted thefirst study. Questionnaires | | | | day. But in the case ofthis study, more was |
| were used to assess physical activitylevels and | | | | clearly better because men who walked lessthan |
| exercise patterns for more than 18,700 women, | | | | a quarter mile per day had nearly TWICE the risk |
| aged 70to 81 years. The questionnaires covered a | | | | of dementiacompared to those who walked more |
| minimum of nine years,and were followed up with | | | | than two miles each day. |
| two telephone interviews with eachsubject to | | | | Walking cholesterol down |
| assess cognitive health measures such as | | | | What is it about taking a daily walk that might |
| memory andattention span. | | | | prevent cognitivedecline and dementia? It could |
| In the conclusion to the study, the Harvard team | | | | have something to do withcholesterol's association |
| wrote thatsignificantly better cognitive function | | | | to Alzheimer's disease. |
| and less cognitive declinewere both strongly | | | | Previous research has suggested that high |
| associated with "long-term regular physicalactivity, | | | | cholesterol levels mayincrease the level of a |
| including walking." | | | | certain protein that is abnormally processedby |
| Lead researcher, Jennifer Weuve, ScD., told | | | | people with Alzheimer's disease. This abnormal |
| Internet Broadcasting | | | | processing setsoff a chain reaction that causes a |
| Systems that women who walked two to three | | | | peptide to accumulate and formtangles that can |
| hours at an easypace each week "performed | | | | kill brain cells. |
| significantly better on these tests ofcognition than | | | | A Georgetown University Medical Center study |
| women who walked less than one hour per | | | | showed howhigh cholesterol levels significantly |
| week." | | | | increase the rate at which thesetangles are |
| And even less cognitive decline was noted in | | | | formed. In addition, the researchers concluded |
| women who walkedsix or more hours each week. | | | | that highcholesterol also increases the production |
| These results reminded me of another benefit of | | | | of a different protein thattransports cholesterol |
| regular walkingamong women. In the e-Alert | | | | out of the cell. And while that's a normalfunction, |
| "Second Pass" (4/5/04), I told youabout a | | | | in this situation it results in an unfortunate increase |
| six-year breast cancer study that included data on | | | | offree cholesterol, which has a toxic effect on |
| morethan 74,000 women over the age of 50. | | | | nerve cells. |
| Researchers found thatwomen who exercise | | | | Of course, daily exercise is one of the best and |
| regularly have lower breast cancer rates. Andin | | | | safest ways tocontrol cholesterol levels. Neither |
| many cases, only a couple of hours of brisk | | | | the Harvard nor the Virginiaresearchers speculated |
| walking each weekmay provide enough exercise | | | | on why regular exercise through walkingmight |
| to reduce breast cancer risk. | | | | have helped prevent cognitive decline and |
| Men on the march | | | | dementia, but itseems likely that reducing |
| In the second JAMA study, researchers at the | | | | cholesterol levels may have come intoplay. |
| University of | | | | |