Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Disease) is one chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease. It is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population of developed countries. 5% of population over 65 years of age and approximately 20% of those over 85 years of age. According to a team International researchers say exercise improves brain health. The authors of the study, published in recent days in the “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease“, add further evidence. Strengthening “the fascinating bond” between regular movement and benefits for the mind. The research, in detail, shows that physical activity is related toincrease in size of brain areas important for memory and learning. Scientists examined MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans of 10,125 people, tests carried out at a network of imaging centers present in various areas of the world, particularly North America. What emerged from the analysis is that those who they regularly practiced physical activities such as walking, running or playing sports they had larger brain volumes in key areas. Including gray matter, which helps ininformation processing. And white matter, which connects different regions of the brain. As well as the hippocampus, important for memory. “Our research – explains the principal investigator, neuroradiologist Cyrus A. Raji – supports previous studies showing that being physically active is good for the brain. Exercise not only reduces the risk of dementia, but also helps maintain brain size, which is essential as we age“.
Lotta all’Alzheimer
And there’s more: “We discovered – adds David Merrill, co-author of the study and direttore del Brain Health Center del Pacific Neuroscience Institute – that even moderate levels of physical activity, such as taking fewer than 4,000 steps a day, can have a positive effect on brain health.” So “less than the 10 thousand steps often suggested, which makes it a more achievable goal for many peopleAnd”. The research, analyzes the co-author Somayeh Meysami, Saint John’s Cancer Institute e Pacific Brain Health Center, “links regular physical activity to larger brain volumes, suggesting neuroprotective benefits. This large study sample allows us to deepen our understanding of lifestyle factors in brain health and dementia prevention”. A 2020 Lancet study found about a dozen modifiable risk factors increase the risk of disease Alzheimer, including physical activity. The studio published now is based on research by the same authors who linked calorie consumption resulting from leisure activities to the improvement of brain structure. “This work demonstrates the influence of exercise on brain imaging and, when added to other studies on the role of diet, stress reduction and social connection shows the proven benefits of non-drug modifiable factors in substantially reducing the disease of Alzheimer“said George Perry, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Predictors
“With full image scans, the interconnected synergy between the body and the brain is highlighted – concludes the study’s senior author Rajpaul Attariwala – And this echoes the knowledge of past generations. Proving that greater physical activity is a predictor of a healthier aging brain“. The message is therefore one: stay active. “Whether it’s a daily walk or a favourite sport, regular physical activity can have lasting benefits for our brain health”, the experts comment. Also a common gastric bacterium present in two thirds of the world population may be linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This was revealed by a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association investigated whether clinically apparent Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people aged 50 or over. The prevalent infection can cause indigestion, gastritis, ulcers and even stomach cancer. A team of researchers from McGill University analyzed the health data of over 4 million people in the UK aged 50 and over between 1988 and 2019. It found that people with symptomatic H. pylori infection had an 11% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the highest risk.
Cause
Although the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is multifaceted, the findings are based on a growing body of evidence on the potential role of infections, in particular H. Pylori, in its development. The study opens avenues for the future research. In particular exploring whether eradication of this bacterium could effectively prevent the disease of Alzheimer’s in some people. Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide and is expected to numbers will increase dramatically with demographic change, the researchers say. “Given the aging global population, it is expected that the number of dementia cases will triple in the next 40 years. However, effective treatment options for this disease are lacking,” said Dr Paul Brassardsenior author of the study and professor in the Department of Medicine of McGill. “We hope – said Dr. Brassard, public health and preventive medicine doctor at the McGill University Health Center – that the results of this investigation provide information on the potential role of H. pylori in dementia. In order to guide the development of prevention strategies. As individualized eradication programs, to reduce infections at a population level.”
Sleep disorders
People who have more disturbed sleep between 30 and 40 years old they may be more likely to suffer from memory problems and reasoning a decade later. This is what emerged from research published on rivista Neurology. “Signs of Alzheimer’s disease begin to accumulate in the brain several decades before the onset of symptoms. So understanding the link between sleep and cognition early in life is critical to understanding the role of sleep problems as a risk factor for the disease“, explains study author Yue Leng, of the University of California, San Francisco. “Our findings indicate that quality, rather than quantity, of sleep is more important for sleep cognitive health in midlife“. The study involved 526 people with an average age of 40 years, followed for 11 years. The researchers examined the durability and quality of the participants’ sleep. The latter wore a wrist activity monitor for three consecutive days on two occasions approximately a year apart. Participants slept an average of six hours. They also completed a sleep quality questionnaire with scores from zero to 21, (higher scores indicate worse sleep quality). A total of 239 people, or 46%, reported poor sleep with a score above five. The participants also took a series of memory and thinking tests.
Discoveries about Alzheimer’s
The researchers also looked at sleep fragmentation, a.k.a short and repetitive interruptions to sleep. Participants had an average sleep fragmentation of 19%. Well, of the 175 individuals with the most disturbed sleep, 44 they showed poor cognitive performance 10 years later. Compared to 10 of 176 individuals with the least disturbed sleep. So, people with the most disturbed sleep they were more than twice as likely to have poor cognitive performance compared to those with less disturbed sleep.