In an era of a globally aging population, prevention of Alzheimer disease and other types of dementia (all-cause dementia) is an important public health goal. Laura F. DeFina, MD, from The Cooper Institute (Texas, USA), and colleagues revealed that among nearly 20,000 participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, those in the highest quintile of cardiorespiratory fitness at roughly age 50 were 36% less likely than those in the lowest quintile. The magnitude and direction of the association were similar with or without previous stroke, suggesting that the lower risk for dementia later in life was independent of cerebrovascular disease. Writing that: “Higher midlife fitness levels seem to be associated with lower hazards of developing all-cause dementia later in life,” the study authors submit that: “The magnitude and direction of the association were similar with or without previous stroke, suggesting that higher fitness levels earlier in life may lower risk for dementia later in life, independent of cerebrovascular disease.”
Laura F. DeFina; Benjamin L. Willis; Nina B. Radford; Ang Gao; David Leonard; William L. Haskell; Myron F. Weiner; Jarett D. Berry. “The Association Between Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels and Later-Life Dementia: A Cohort Study.” Annals Int Med., 5 February 2013.
Vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of the amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.
US Baby Boomers are experiencing higher rates of chronic disease and lower self-rated health than members of the previous generation at the same age.
People who maintain cardiorespiratory fitness in mid-life may be less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, as they age.
Potential new anti-cancer therapy aims to halt cancer cell growth by knocking out a key mitochondrial protein.
Exposure to sunlight associates with a decreased incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, among women.
An eight-week long program involving the consumption of 40 g of soybean protein a day improved biomarkers of inflammation and adipocytokines.
Indulging in a small food treat yields as much psychological satisfaction as a larger portion.
By modulating the biological pathways involved in inflammation, humulones and bittering acids found in beer may beneficially impact diabetes and other diseases.
Older adults may improve their decision making and working memory simply by maintaining a positive mood.
Silibinin, the extract of milk thistle, kills skin cells mutated by UVA radiation - which makes up about 95% of the sun’s radiation that reaches Earth.
People who receive acupuncture while exercising display enhanced exercise performance, and recover more quickly from an exercise session as well.
Seniors who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to experience loss of brain volume and potentially retain cognitive skills.
People who lift weights are less likely to have metabolic syndromea cluster of risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes.
Lift your mood by extending your normal exercise routine by just a few minutes
T cells become more responsive in exercising cancer survivors weeks after chemotherapy ends.
Soccer (football outside the US) helps men with high blood pressure to improve their fitness, normalize their blood pressure. and reduce their risk of stroke.
A regular exercise program that focuses on intensity of activity, rather than duration, may significantly reduce the risk of markers implicated in diabetes
As little as 6 months of exercise can improve memory, language, thinking and judgment problems by almost 50%, in people affected by stroke.
Daily physical activity can boost a person's mental health, via the psychological mechanisms known as the self-image hypothesis and the social interaction hypot
The very elderly and frail can enjoy the benefits of exercise in terms of their physical and cognitive faculties and quality of life after only three months.
Tip #127 - Delay Death with Vitamin D
The therapeutic role of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," for bone health, has become well established. A number of recent studies now link vitamin D deficiency to adverse health consequences such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some infectious diseases.
Johns Hopkins University (Maryland, USA) researchers reported that low blood levels of Vitamin D are associated with a 26% increased risk of death from any cause. The team analyzed data collected on 13,331 adults during a 6-year period after which the subjects were followed for 9 years. People with Vitamin D levels of less than 17.8 ng/mL had a 26% increased rate of death from any cause, compared to people with the highest Vitamin D levels (more than 32.1 ng/mL).
Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts, USA) reported that those individuals taking vitamin D supplements are at a 7% lower risk of death, as compared to those who did not supplement.
As well, Vitamin D inhibits the body’s inflammatory response and thus reduces the turnover of leukocytes (a type of white blood cell). The length of the leukocyte telomere (the endcap of the chromosome) is a predictor of aging-related disease, whereby it shortens as a result of increased inflammation. A team from King's College, London School of Medicine (United Kingdom) found that people with longer telomeres have higher levels of Vitamin D stored in their bodies. The team reports that: “The difference … was … equivalent to five years of telomeric aging,” suggesting that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels.