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“Physically Fit Women Nearly 90% Less Likely To Develop Dementia”

RunsWithBees
RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
Personally I work with disabled seniors, most of whom have dementia and it’s just an awful, cruel disease that robs a person of their independence and dignity.
Generally people not familiar with dementia only think of the memory issues associated with the disease, but it is so much more than that. Everyone’s degree of symptoms is different but eventually most lose their ability to reason, think and remember even the most simple things. For example, how to care for themselves, personal hygiene, how to dress, how to use money, how to read and write, how to drive, who their family members are, how to get out of bed without falling, etc. They lose all concept of time/date, forget how to sit/stand/walk, forget how to eat, lose the ability to speak, lose the ability to comprehend speech and interact, forget that they are in familiar surroundings even if they are in the home they’ve lived in all their life, etc.
Remember the stories about the deaths from eating TidePods? Most of the people who died were seniors with dementia. They will often forget what is edible and what is not and it’s a real tragedy. Most die of complications from falls, being underweight, infections from being bedbound and pneumonia caused by aspiration of foods & beverages because their brain can no longer coordinate swallowing properly.

Dementia kills more people every year than breast cancer & prostate cancer.

And there is no cure.

This was as a Swedish study done on middle aged women.

https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/1634

Any chance to stave off this terrible disease is definitely worth trying!

Were you aware of this study? Would it be enough to change your exercise routines or lack there of? Is the study flawed or not worth much consideration? Thoughts/opinions?
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Replies

  • walking2running
    walking2running Posts: 140 Member
    hmm definitely a huge incentive to stay physically active
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    hmm definitely a huge incentive to stay physically active

    Yep
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    hmm definitely a huge incentive to stay physically active

    Definitely! Plus physical activity is directly correlated with quality of life so it definitely makes sense to move more!
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    My Mom has Alzheimer's - fairly well advanced - Dad cares for her - I would not call her athletic, but she did play tennis - ride a bicycle and was active - up on her feet doing things, and lived a healthy lifestyle
    I'm sure the study is accurate -A physically active person usually will live longer & be healthy & active longer. With Dementia there may be a chicken & egg situation -maybe -The person who is not active may be pre disposed to dementia, The type of person who is active may also be the type who is at a lower risk - maybe - but I am sure we all can lower our risk for dementia and other health problems through physical activity and by other life style choices - not smoking , drinking & eating your veggies.

    It sort of sounds like I'm straddling the fence here

    It could be a chicken & egg situation indeed. But they did test these women in middle age around 50-ish well before any dementia symptoms set in.

    I’ve actually heard Alzheimer’s Disease called “Type 3 Diabetes” in some early research due to some correlation between blood sugar and brain function but there’s really no good research out there yet.

    We all have a genetic / hereditary pre disposition to certain diseases weather it is heart disease, cancer , Alzheimer's or any other. We can also all stay healthier & live a longer - more active life by the choices we make & exercise is one of those choices - along with eating your veggies
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    If you are a runner you're burnin' up the carbs. I lower carb - too much can hit me like a narcotic, I normally keep it 100 or a bit more. Right now I'm closer to 200 because I need to gain a few lbs back. I do like bread & rice.
    The liver is amazing with the regeneration - I had liver issues from alcohol years ago - all better now
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    Bump!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    And, my understanding is the meds for insulin stimulate the appetite. A double whammy.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,297 Member
    It seem keeping carbs under better control, sometimes by only 15 to 20 grams, or even 50 grms lower a day than MFP suggests can make a difference depending on the person and their degree of insulin resistance. Being less free with added sugar products and avoiding mass produced foods as often as possible will also help. Unfortunately we don't all have the time to be able to cook each and every meal, so we know exactly what we are eating. I hope we can all learn how to avoid laying down those debilitating amyloid plaques.

    I've also worked with dementure sufferes and the outlook is not great once the damage sets in. Keeping these people safe is such a responsibility when they can't look after themselves or recognise dangers. They are still the accumulation of all their life experiences and need respecting as such.
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    Fuzzipeg wrote: »
    It seem keeping carbs under better control, sometimes by only 15 to 20 grams, or even 50 grms lower a day than MFP suggests can make a difference depending on the person and their degree of insulin resistance. Being less free with added sugar products and avoiding mass produced foods as often as possible will also help. Unfortunately we don't all have the time to be able to cook each and every meal, so we know exactly what we are eating. I hope we can all learn how to avoid laying down those debilitating amyloid plaques.

    I've also worked with dementure sufferes and the outlook is not great once the damage sets in. Keeping these people safe is such a responsibility when they can't look after themselves or recognise dangers. They are still the accumulation of all their life experiences and need respecting as such.

    According to some research it seems that the amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles begin to accumulate in middle age, well before any symptoms begin to show. Once the dementia is actually diagnosed, it will only get worse and worse. This study shows that women who are “very fit” in middle age are less likely to get dementia or get it much later on in life than those who are not fit. Perhaps the exercise they do in middle age helps to clear out the amyloid & tau, more research needs to be done of course. But it’s worth a try to stay fit if it means better quality of life as we age!
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Is there a genetic component to dementia? Or is that a pure 'lifestyle' disease caused by our increased access to food and deceasing physical activity?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I've seen it called T3D too. Some seem to show dementia is at least partially from IR in the brain. Since exercise helps manage BG, and appears to help prevent some IR, it makes sense that exercise could help prevent some Alzheimer's.

    From what I've seen, it is a preventative thing. Exercise helps reverse IR in muscles but does help as much with the brain. Dietary changes look more promising at that point, IMO.