Active Lifestyle May Help Fight Off Alzheimer’s

      In the fast-paced world we live in, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. For 5
million elderly Americans, it is made even easier by Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and potentially fatal disorder that
destroys brain cells. This occurs as patients develop problems with memory,
thinking and behavior, severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies, or their
social life. Some new studies show that you might be able to ward off this terrible
disorder.

A study published in the journal Neurology, found that increased levels of
leisure activities were associated with decreased chances of developing
Alzheimer’s. This study was conducted on over 1,700 people in an adult
retirement community. It assessed the residents’ participation in 13 different
leisure activities including:  hobbies, walking, visiting friends or relatives, reading,
going to entertainment events and playing games.


The study considered “low activity” to be participation in 6 or less
activities, while participation in more than 6 activities was considered “high
activity.” Six years after the initial survey, dementia risk was decreased by 38%
in those participants with high activity levels as compared to those participants
with low activity levels.

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The author of this study was influenced by a similar study done on animals
which had similar results. He went on to conclude that “Exposure to an enriched
environment, defined as a combination of more opportunities for physical activity,
learning, and social interaction, produces not only a host of structural and
functional changes in the brain but also influences the rate of neurogenesis in
adult and senescent animal models.”

This means that constant mental stimulation will keep our brain in a
regenerative state where we are constantly maintaining and remodeling our brain
cells’ functions.

Another article of interest on the topic of Alzheimer’s showed a higher risk
of Alzheimer’s for those people with advanced cases of osteoporosis. This may
be linked to the same reasoning for the first article mentioned. As seniors stay
active they not only keep their brain stimulated, but they also remain more
physically active. This physical activity is crucial to maintaining adequate bone
density and therefore these two studies support each other's findings.

Basically, it is thought that the old adage of “if you don’t use, it you loose
it,” may be true with regards to our brain. As seniors become more sedentary
they are less likely keep themselves physically or mentally stimulated. With this
loss of stimulation, our body begins to deteriorate at a higher speed. Staying
active will not only add years to your life, but it appears that it will also add life to
your years.


<a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/old-man-walking">Old Man Walking Stock photos by Vecteezy</a>
<a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/x-ray">X Ray Stock photos by Vecteezy</a>

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