20 mins of exercise 2X a week may slow dementia
Just 20 minutes of exercise twice a week may help slow dementia.
That’s according to a new study led by researchers with the Center for Community Health and Aging in the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.
“The benefits of exercise for this group have long been known, but by using a longitudinal study design and analyzing various levels of activity, we could determine the amount and duration needed to help prevent further decline,” says Jungjoo “Jay” Lee, who led the study, which was published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
He adds that mild cognitive impairment—a loss of memory or other thinking processes that is noticeable but does not affect everyday life—is thought to be one step on the path to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, but the relationship is not always straightforward.
While those with mild cognitive impairment are at greater risk of developing dementia compared to others, some with the condition stay stable or even improve over time, while others progress to dementia, he says.
“Our age and how well our brain was working to begin with are factors,” he says. “In addition, solving puzzles, spending time with others and staying physically active may help slow down or even stop the slide.”
For their study, the team analyzed longitudinal data about the relationship between physical activities and dementia for participants in the 2012 to 2020 Health and Retirement Study Core data, a national study of adults age 50 and older in the United States that is produced every other year.
The researchers assessed mild cognitive impairment through three types of cognition: memory (participants’ recall of 10 words immediately after hearing them and again after five minutes), working memory (subtracting seven from 100 over five trials), and attention and processing speed (counting backward from 20 to 10 over two trials).
This resulted in 9,714 participants, of which 68.6% were male and 31.4% female. Their median age was 78, just over half were married and 42% were widowed or divorced. Eight percent had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia during the study period.
To measure cognitive decline, they used participants’ medical diagnosis of either Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and any changes since 2012.
The team then analyzed how often participants engaged in 21 types of activities, such as playing sports or walking, and for how long.
“Older adults who maintained moderate levels of physical activity showed a significantly lower chance of developing dementia over time, while those who were less active saw little to no benefit,” says coauthor and center colleague Junhyoung “Paul” Kim. “This highlights the importance of regular movement—such as walking—as a simple and effective strategy to support brain health.”
In addition, the study found that the risk of developing dementia increased with age, while higher levels of education and cognitive function lowered the risk, and sex had no effect.
Despite the study’s limitations, Lee is optimistic that this new knowledge could help in the development of new therapies for this group.
“One out of every nine adults 45 and older in the United States say they experience confusion or memory loss that is getting worse, and that shows no signs of improving,” Lee says. “This study and future studies could help in the development of community-based, comprehensive activities for this growing population.”
The other researcher involved with the study was Kangeun Lee with Indiana University.
Source: Texas A&M University
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Internet use can shield caregivers from loneliness
Staying connected through the internet can help older adults who care for their family or friends feel less lonely and cope better with the stress of caregiving, according to a new study.
The research appears in the journal JMIR Aging.
In the United States, 59 million people care for aging adults or those with complex medical conditions. For informal caregivers, who might be caring for a spouse or other family member, this unpaid work can be both physically and emotionally challenging.
“Caregiving can really take a toll on a person’s body and mind, from chronic stress and anxiety to aches and pains from lifting or helping the person they care for,” explained Xiang Qi, assistant professor at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the study’s lead author.
“In fact, a lot of caregivers end up neglecting their own health because they’re so focused on someone else’s needs.”
Caregiving can also be isolating, curbing one’s ability to go out and maintain social connections. Fostering connection using technology—for instance, joining a virtual support group, reading a caregiving forum, or FaceTiming with a friend—offers alternatives to in-person interactions. While there’s a growing consensus that technology is driving isolation among young people, Qi and his colleagues wanted to explore whether internet use could be beneficial for older caregivers, who tend to already have limitations on their time and mobility.
In their study, the researchers analyzed data from the 2019‐2020 California Health Interview Survey, the largest statewide health survey in the United States. They focused on 3,957 participants ages 65 and older who provided unpaid care for a family member or friend.
About 12% of older caregivers reported physical or mental health problems because of their caregiving duties. The researchers found that those who had these health issues tended to feel lonelier—”This makes sense, because caregiving can be tough,” notes Qi.
But importantly, caregivers who used the internet more often felt less lonely overall. In fact, going online frequently seemed to act like a buffer: it reduced the extra loneliness that caregivers with health problems would otherwise experience.
While the study looked at how often caregivers use the internet, it did not capture what they do online. Qi hopes that future research will dig into specific types of online activities and which have the greatest benefit for caregivers’ wellbeing.
“I think the type of internet activity could matter—for example, playing games online might help a caregiver relax and pass the time, but joining a virtual support group or video chatting with friends could do more to ease loneliness because you’re actually interacting with people,” he says.
“My hunch is that activities which involve social interaction or getting support would provide more benefit against loneliness than just passive activities, but we need studies to confirm that.”
Given their findings, the researchers encourage older caregivers to embrace the internet as a tool in their daily lives, one that could help them to stay in touch with others, find support, learn new online skills, and access reliable health information.
“Using the internet to connect with friends, family, or fellow caregivers can really lighten the emotional load of caregiving because it reminds you that you’re not alone,” adds Qi. “Think of it like a bridge that can connect you to people and information, even when you can’t leave home.”
Additional study authors are from NYU and the University of Texas at Austin. Support for the research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health.
Source: NYU
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