Pearls of Wisdom

According to two articles in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, moderate physical activity performed in midlife has been associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment.  The Mayo Clinic defines Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) as “a transition stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious problems caused by Alzheimer’s disease.”  MCI is associated with problems with memory, language, and other mental function.  MCI affects about 20% of people over 70.

In the first article, Dr. Laura Baker of the University of Washington School of medicine, studied 33 adults with mild cognitive impairment.  A group of 23 were randomly selected to participate in an aerobic exercise group and exercised under high intensity levels for 45-60 minutes per day, four days per week.  The control group of ten individuals performed stretches for the same amount of time but kept their heart rate low.  Cognitive functions were measured before, during and after the study which lasted 6 months.

The results showed that the high intensity aerobic group showed improved cognitive function compared to the control group.  This led the researchers to conclude that “Aerobic exercise is a cost effective practice associated with numerous physical benefits.  The results of the study also suggest that exercise also provides cognitive benefit for some adults with mild cognitive impairment.”

In the other report, Dr. Yonas Geda at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., studied 1324 individuals without dementia were part of a study on aging.  The study concluded that those who reported performing moderate exercise such as brisk walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training or swimming were less likely to have mild cognitive impairment.  Midlife moderate exercise was associated with a 39% reduction in the odds of developing the condition.  The findings were consistent among men and women.

Read the original article here: www.eurekalert.org

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Health & Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.