Summary
Researchers have found that just staying active, both physically and mentally, can help a person avoid Alzheimer's disease late in life. "We don't know why this association exists or what causes it," says one of the lead scientists on the new study. "It could be that maintaining a variety of activities keeps more parts of the brain active, or that this variety reflects better engagement in both physical and social activities."
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http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=301&fArticleId=2485998
Details
Washington: A variety of activities like exercise, household chores and even dancing can help people avoid Alzheimer's - the most common form - and other types of dementia.
US researchers say they found that variety was more important for preventing dementia than the amount of calories burned in exercise and other physical activities.
"We don't yet know why this association exists or what causes it," said Constantine Lyketsos, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Johns Hopkins University.
"It could be that maintaining a variety of activities keeps more parts of the brain active, or that this variety reflects better engagement in both physical and social activities."
The study included 3 375 men and women over the age of 64 who did not have dementia when the programme began.
Each volunteer answered questions about the frequency and duration of physical activities, such as walking, household chores, gardening, dancing, bowling or swimming.
Factors such as age, gender, education level, ethnicity, smoking and alcohol use were also considered.
Over the next five years, 480 people developed dementia, of whom only 84 who had listed four or more activities developed dementia.
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Sunday, May 08, 2005
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