Monthly Archives: June 2021

By David Freeze

It’s common that I get a few comments each week from those who aren’t serious runners but read this column anyway. The quantity of those comments went up this week, largely I think because each of us have occasional thoughts about getting older and drifting into cognitive decline. Of course, we are always hoping that it doesn’t happen, but hope just isn’t good enough. Last week’s column addressed what we can do, and we will dig deeper this week.

Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford from the Mayo Clinic explained that the terms dementia and Alzheimer’s are often used interchangeably, but they actually have very different meanings. Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term, sometimes referred to as an umbrella which describes a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms impact a person’s ability to perform everyday activities independently. Common symptoms include:

• A decline in memory
• Changes in thinking skills
• Poor judgment and reasoning skills
• Decreased focus and attention
• Changes in language and communication skills

Alzheimer’s disease is one type of dementia, but it is not the only one. There are many different types and causes of dementia.

Any exercise that leaves the person slightly breathless has brain benefits for those age 50 and over. With 39 clinical trials backing this claim, we should all pay attention. Although less research has been done with healthy older people, there is some evidence to show older people who begin exercising late in life can also reduce their risk of dementia if they make it a regular habit. In a study of 716 people with an average age of 82 years, people who were in the bottom 10% in terms of amount of daily physical activity were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as those in the top 10%.

A literature review found 27 studies looking at the effect of physical activity on brain function in people over 60 years of age. In 26 of the studies there was a clear link between physical activity levels and cognitive performance, suggesting that exercise appears to be an effective way to reduce cognitive decline in later life.

Aerobic exercise has also been shown to affect the brains of healthy older people. In a modest-sized controlled trial, one year of aerobic exercise resulted in a small increase in the size of the hippocampus (the key brain area involved in memory), which was the equivalent of reversing one to two years of age-related shrinkage. A study of 638 people in Scotland that asked participants about their activity levels found those who were physically active at age 70 experienced less brain shrinkage over three years than those who were not.

The Alzheimer’s Association says to consider physical activities that may also be mentally or socially engaging, such as walking with a friend, taking a dance class, joining an exercise group or golfing. Incorporate any enjoyable activity for the greater likelihood of continued engagement. For example, bike riding, gardening or walking the dog will likely provide positive results. As we generally tell folks of any age who are just beginning, ease into the activity slowly and steadily.    

Adopting healthy exercise habits today will allow us to enjoy the lifelong benefits of regular physical activity. However, it’s never too late to start — making healthy choices at any age is beneficial to your well-being. Always consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program if you think there are any issues.

I’m a believer in big exercise, but that isn’t what’s required here. Just get moving. My bet is the mental and physical benefits experienced early in the effort will inspire more time and commitment. As I usually suggest, early morning exercise that starts the day provides a boost that lingers for hours. But evening exercise, if that’s your preference, works too.

I mentioned last week that the new Alzheimer’s drug, Biogen’s Aduhelm is available and has good early results. Yet the projected cost is about $56,000 per year.

If you aren’t already exercising regularly, all this is yet another good reason to start.

Look for more information on the Shiloh Missions 5K in Faith on July 3 and other upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

By David Freeze

Many years ago during high school, I was fortunate to live with a grandma and aunt, both of whom lived together. For their own reasons, they chose to help me through a rough time. Eventually, our family lost both of them to long-term dementia.

This was long before exercise became important to me. I was active in some sports but never thought anything about the long-range benefits of regular cardiovascular, heart-pumping exercise. But I began to wonder as both their mental and physical declines persisted for several years, could anything have helped them? Both stayed busy but neither exercised nor took their diets seriously.

I’ve been interested for years in researching how to hold off memory loss and cognitive decline. With the past week’s news of a drug that potentially could slow these declines, I thought this was a good time to visit what we can do, prompted by a radio podcast where two doctors said that 90% of cognitive decline is preventable.

We know that exercise has plenty of physical and mental health benefits, reducing cardiovascular disease and diabetes while strengthening the bones and muscles. Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.D, at the Mayo Clinic said, “It appears that regular physical activity benefits the brain. Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity is one of the known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Plus, regular exercise helps combat other Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, such as depression and obesity.”

He suggests that exercising several times a week for 30 to 60 minutes is likely to do the following for the brain:

• Keep thinking, reasoning and learning skills sharp for healthy individuals
• Improve memory, reasoning, judgment and thinking skills (cognitive function) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment
• Delay the start of Alzheimer’s for people at risk of developing the disease or slow the progress of the disease
• Increase the size of the part of the brain that’s associated with memory formation (hippocampus)

Dr. Graff-Radford said, “Physical activity seems to help your brain not only by keeping the blood flowing but also by increasing chemicals that protect the brain. Physical activity also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occurs with aging.”

More research is needed to know how, and how much adding physical activity may improve memory or slow the progression of cognitive decline. Nonetheless, regular exercise is important to stay physically and mentally fit. And for older adults, even leisurely physical activity offers health benefits.

There are other ways to fight back. While some things some such as age and heredity can’t be changed, others can. The simple things like lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol reduce risk factors. Some autopsy studies show that 80% of all who had Alzheimer’s also had coronary disease. Those autopsy studies also show that the plaques and tangles in the brain have a much higher risk of leading to Alzheimer’s when there is vascular disease.

Current evidence suggests that heart-healthy eating may also help protect the brain. Heart-healthy eating includes limiting the intake of sugar and saturated fats and making sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. No one diet has proven best. Two diets that have been studied and may be beneficial to lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s are the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet.

• The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. The DASH diet limits sodium, sweets, sugary beverages and red meats.
• A Mediterranean diet includes relatively little red meat. It emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil.

Leading a healthy social life and challenging the brain regularly also appear to be major pluses. Getting involved with community activities and seeking mental stimulation matter. Exercise and dietary improvement can still make a difference when cognitive impairment has already begun.

Rowan’s next two races are right around the corner. The Shiloh Missions 5K on July 3 and the Greenway 5K on July 17 are next up. Look for them and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org