New research suggests that even a simple exercise program may help older adults with mild or mild memory impairment.
Doctors have long advised patients to engage in physical activity to keep their brains healthy. But this U.S. government-backed study is the longest to look at whether exercise makes any difference when memory starts to decline.
the study
Researchers found about 300 inactive older adults with a memory change called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a condition that may precede Alzheimer’s disease.
half of the elderly were aerobic The rest was stretching and balance exercises to get my heart rate up a bit.
Both groups of people received attention from trainers who worked with them at youth organization centers called YMCAs across the United States. When COVID-19 Shuts Down Gymthe trainer helped study participant Stay on the move at home with video calling.
A year later, tests of mental activity showed no worsening in either group, said lead investigator Laura Baker of Wake Forest Medical College in North Carolina. scan She said she didn’t see the contractions that often accompany worsening memory problems.
By comparison, in another long-term study of brain health, similar MCI patients experienced cognitive or mental decline over a year or more despite not exercising.
Early discoveries are amazing. But the National Institute on Aging warned that tracking non-exercise people in the same study would provide better evidence.
“Anyone can do it”
The results suggest that “anyone can do this,” not just older people who are healthy enough to sweat, Baker said. She recently presented this data at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. “Exercise should be part of prevention strategyFor the elderly at risk, she added.
Maria Carrillo is Chief Scientific Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. She found in her previous research that regular physical activity of any kind can reduce harmful inflammation and increase blood flow to the brain.
She added that the new study is of particular interest because the COVID-19 pandemic began in the middle of the study. That meant that study participants were socially isolated or separated from others. There is
Research difficulty
It’s a difficult time for dementia research.doctors are not sure prescribe An expensive new drug called Aduhelm. This drug should be the first drug to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but it is not yet clear whether it will really help patients.
Researchers reported last month that another drug that works similarly failed in a key study.it’s also on target amyloid plaque In the brain.
There is a growing urgency to find out whether exercise and other steps offer at least some degree of protection.
How much and what type of exercise?
In Baker’s study, older adults were supposed to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes four times a week. It didn’t matter if it was exercise on a treadmill or stretching.
Baker credits her social connection with her trainer with helping. Each participant completed over 100 hours of exercise.
Doug Maxwell of Verona, Wisconsin, who participated in the study with his wife, said:
An 81-year-old husband and wife were assigned to a stretching class. Afterwards, they felt so much better that when the study was over, they purchased electric bikes in hopes of more activity.
Baker believes that the amount of exercise might explain why even simple stretching is healthier. advantageParticipants were to exercise without social support for an additional six months. Baker has not yet studied that data.
In addition to the recent study, Baker is leading a larger study in older adults that shows that adding exercise to other steps such as healthy eating, brain games, and social activities may reduce the risk of dementia. to see if it drops.
I’m John Russell.
My name is Ashlee Thompson.
Lauren Neergaard reported this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adopted it for VOA Learning English.
Quiz – Simple Exercises Can Delay Memory Loss
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the words of this story
aerobic –adj. strengthen the heart and lungs by working hard for more than a few minutes
gymnasium (gymnasium) –n. a building or room for exercise
participant –n. a person involved in an activity or research
scan –n. Photography has spawned a special machine to see inside things like the human body
strategy –n. Long-term plan
dementia –n. (medicine) A mental disorder in which the inability to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not
prescribe –v. To officially tell someone to use (a drug, therapy, diet, etc.) as a remedy or cure
amyloid plaque –n. Misfolded protein formed between neurons
advantage –n. a good or useful result or effect
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