Active Lifestyle Helps Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Daily physical exercise may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even in people 80 and older, according to a study published in Neurology.
For the study, a group of 716 people (mean age = 82) wore an actigraph—a device that monitors activity—on their non-dominant wrist continuously for 10 days. All exercise and non-exercise was recorded. Participants also self-reported their physical and social activity. Additionally, they were given annual tests during the 4-year study that measured memory and thinking abilities. During the study, 71 people developed Alzheimer’s disease.
The research found that people in the bottom 10% of daily physical activity were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as people in the top 10% of daily activity. The study also showed that those people in the bottom 10% of intensity of physical activity were almost three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as people in the top 10% of intensity of physical activity.
The study showed that not just formal exercise is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease: Living a more active lifestyle and taking part in activities such as cooking, washing the dishes, and playing cards also helps reduce the risk.
Source.“Get Moving: Daily Exercise May Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk at Any Age.” (2012, April 10). Retrieved May 24, 2012, from http://www.newswise.com/articles/get-moving-daily-exercise-may-reduce-alzheimer-s-disease-risk-at-any-age.
Opioid Misuse Knows No Age Limit
An analysis from pain medication monitoring group Ameritox demonstrates that the older patient population is at risk for prescription misuse, abuse, and drug interactions. Data were presented at the American Pain Society’s annual meeting.
Although the common perception is that America’s prescription drug misuse concerns should focus on younger adults, data suggest that older pain patients have the same issues with potential nonadherence and medication misuse as the overall chronic pain population. The Ameritox study suggests health professionals should put aside age as a predictive indicator in evaluating medication adherence.
Extensive data of urine drug monitoring results taken from patient samples of adults 50 and older were submitted for analysis to Ameritox from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2011, for a total of 725,679 samples. Results of this testing revealed:
- 7.6% had an illicit drug detected (e.g., marijuana, cocaine metabolite, heroin metabolite, PCP).
- 28.1% had a non-prescribed drug detected (e.g., opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates).
- 31.8% did not have a prescribed drug detected (e.g., a prescribed pain medication).
- 45.9% of samples had no abnormality found.
Source.“Large-Scale Meta-Analysis Shows Age Not a Social Barrier to Opioid Use and Misuse.” (2012, May 17). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/large-scale-meta-analysis-shows-age-not-a-social-barrier-to-opioid-use-and-misuse-151889505.html.
Living with Parkinson’s Disease Involves ‘More Than Motion’
To help people learn more about the full range of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, global biopharmaceutical company UCB, Inc. is launching a new online community—Parkinson’s More than Motion™—that provides a platform for people living with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers to interact and learn from others with the condition.
The Parkinson’s More than Motion community includes a Facebook page where people can add their voices to the conversation, connect with experts, take quizzes, and watch the reality-style video series featuring Parkinson’s disease patients and their families. For more information, visit Facebook.com/ParkinsonsMorethanMotion.
Source.“New Online Community Highlights that Living with Parkinson’s Disease May Involve More Than Motion™.” (2012, April 20). Retrieved May 24, 2012, from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-online-community-highlights-that-living-with-parkinsons-disease-may-involve-more-than-motion-148269035.html.
Depression Shows Ties to Dementia
Depressive symptoms that occur in both mid- and late life are associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, while symptoms that occur in late life only are more likely to be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The study is the first to examine whether mid- or late-life depression is more likely to lead to either Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia in the long term. The investigators examined the association between depressive symptoms and dementia over the course of 45 years in a longitudinal study of more than 13,000 long-term members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated care delivery system. The study population consisted of members who participated in a voluntary health examination called the Multiphasic Health Checkup in San Francisco and Oakland from 1964 to 1973 when they were ages 40 to 55.
Participants were evaluated for depressive symptoms in midlife as part of the Multiphasic Health Checkup and again in late life between 1994 and 2000. Between 2003 and 2009, 3,129 participants were diagnosed with dementia.
The findings suggest that depression beginning in late life may be an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, while chronic depression throughout life may reflect a long-term process of changes to blood flow in the brain associated with increased risk of vascular dementia.
Source.“Lifelong Depression May Increase Risk of Vascular Dementia, While Late-Life Depression May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease.” (2012, May 7). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifelong-depression-may-increase-risk-of-vascular-dementia-while-late-life-depression-may-signal-alzheimers-disease-150480745.html.
Football Legend Teams Up with AARP
National Football League legend Dan Marino, 50, is joining a new team. As AARP’s “Men’s Life Ambassador,” Marino will share his point of view and expertise on a variety of men’s interests including health, fitness, sports, lifestyle, entrepreneurship, and community service, using AARP’s website, http://www.aarp.org, as his primary means of speaking directly to men 50 and older about issues important to them.
As AARP’s Men’s Life Ambassador, Marino will be making regular contributions to AARP’s website, making personal appearances and speaking at events, and connecting with AARP’s more than 37 million members through online chats and social media.
Source.“Football Legend Dan Marino Signs On As New Ambassador For AARP.” (2012, April 23). Retrieved May 24, 2012, from the PR Newswire website: http://s.tt/1bMg3.