Brisk Walks Could Keep Dementia at Bay

by Sheela Philomena on? August 02, 2013 at 5:19 PM Research News 20 minute brisk walking could help beat dementia, as it improves the walker's brain function, reveals study.
Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer's Research UK said that while there is currently no way to prevent dementia, the best evidence shows that regular exercise, along with eating a healthy diet, not smoking and keeping the blood pressure and cholesterol in check can help lower the risk, the Daily Express reported.

On a programme of moderate exercise, the researchers examined people aged 60 to 88, out of which half had mild cognitive impairment.

They were all asked to do their walking on a treadmill, guided by a personal trainer and it was found that respondents with cognitive impairment and those without improved their cardiovascular fitness by about 10 per cent.

Scans showed for the first time that the gentle workouts also improved brain function.

All participants improved their memory performance and showed enhanced ability at memory retrieval tasks.

The study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Source-ANI

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HRT Does Not Increase Risk of Dementia in Postmenopausal Women: New Study

Earlier studies had linked hormone replacement therapy to a doubled risk of dementia and a reduced memory, but a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine is all set to prove it wrong.

A team of researchers from the Wake Forest School of Medicine, North Carolina, recruited around 1,300 women for the study, all of them between the age of 50 and 55 years. All the study subjects were already under hormone replacement therapy medication.

The researchers gave one group of women their normal HRT medication, and another group a placebo. For seven years, the women were closely monitored, after which, their brain function scores were taken.

The results so obtained revealed no overall difference in the scores between women on placebo and the women taking their HRT medications.

"Our findings provide reassurance that CEO-based (conjugated equine oestrogens) therapies when administered to women earlier in the postmenopausal period do not seem to convey long-term adverse consequences for cognitive function," explained Dr Mark Espeland, a professor of biostatistics who led the research.

However, they did report - 'We are not able to address whether initiating hormone therapy during menopause and maintaining therapy until any symptoms are passed affects cognitive function, either in the short or longer term'.

Some minor speech disturbances occurring due to long-term use of HRT medications had also been shunned, attributing them to being statistically insignificant.

This study may come as a relief to around 1.5 million British women who use hormone replacement therapy to manage their symptoms of menopause. HRT medications have proved to be quite effective in treating symptoms associated with menopause including mood swings, hot flushes and more.

Source-Medindia

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Digital "Dementia" on the Rise Among Youth

Researchers at South Korea's Balance Brain Centre over reliance on gadgets such as smartphones and game devices has deteriorated the cognitive abilities of young people to an extent that is normally seen in patients who suffer head injuries or psychiatric illnesses.

The researchers said that constant use of smartphones and gaming devices leads to underdevelopment of the right side of the brain, associated with concentration, which affects attention and memory span and may lead to early onset of dementia in 15 percent of cases.

"Over-use of smartphones and game devices hampers the balanced development of the brain. Heavy [technology] users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped", Balance Brain Centre's Byun Gi-won said.

Source-Medindia

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