Ya. Someone, somewhere, has either received one of my emails, or they have read my website or forums postings. This is another news article on the dementia exercise link. It was on Google with about 50 more of the same stories.
I always said I was doing it for altruistic reasons. Still. It would be nice for people to say "Thanks for pointing us in the right direction, Happeh".
EDIT: OHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I want to jump up and down and stomp Snake, James, and a few other people who are so intractable.
"It's not really definitive evidence. But on the other hand, what do we do while we wait for definitive evidence?
That is what I tell people! So what if my pictures are not "definitive". I know what I am talking about. Why don't you guys listen to this man? So what if a million dollar study does not back me up. My observations and conclusions are correct. People can start working on their health now. Then in 5 years, when the study that proves I am right is released, people already have 5 years of benefit.
Three or more days of exercise a week could stave off dementia in older people, according to a new study led by Seattle researchers.
The study, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 1,740 people age 65 and older for an average of six years. None showed signs of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia when the study began.
Those who reported exercising three or more days a week were 30 percent less likely to develop dementia than others who exercised less or not at all.
In addition, three days of exercise appeared to be most helpful for the least fit of the study participants.
"I think those people may have already been starting down that pathway toward Alzheimer's, and you can delay or reduce the rate of that pathway proceeding," said Dr. Eric Larson, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Health Studies at Group Health Cooperative.
A lifelong runner and hiker, Warren Raymond took up cycling in 1990.
"Jogging is a little hard on the joints," said Raymond, who participated in the study. "You get twinges in the hinges, and I had a hip replacement, so I decided bicycling would be easier on the joints."
Now 82, he goes for 25- to 30-mile rides once a week with a group of friends, some of whom he's known since high school.
They stop at Starbucks along the route and always finish up with lunch on the way home. Raymond takes shorter, solo rides when the weather is nice and works out in the gym at his Issaquah retirement community every day.
"If I don't exercise, I feel kind of grouchy and glum," said Raymond, who grew up in Spokane.
His high score on a cognitive test administered to all study participants hasn't changed since he was first enrolled in the study in 1994.
Still, because the study is observational -- that is, researchers asked people about their exercise routines, rather than assigning a particular type of activity for a set amount of time to different groups -- it doesn't specify how much and what types of exercise make the most difference.
"It's not really definitive evidence. But on the other hand, what do we do while we wait for definitive evidence? We have lots of reasons to exercise, so perhaps this is another reason," said Dallas Anderson at the National Institute of Aging, which funded the study.
About 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, the most common cause of dementia in older people, according to the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center.
In the study, 158 people developed dementia, including 107 who developed Alzheimer's.
Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minn., said the study adds to mounting evidence that lifestyle factors can keep Alzheimer's at bay.
"This is sort of a hot topic in the field right now," said Petersen, who was not involved with the Seattle study.
Exercise, intellectual engagement, a healthy diet and social interaction appear to help delay dementia, although it's not clear which of these factors is most successful or why.
For example, the socializing Raymond engages in along with his weekly rides could be as beneficial as his workout.
One theory about the connection between exercise and dementia is that physical activity increases blood and oxygen flow, making the brain more equipped to withstand the stress of aging, Larson said.(EDIT: This theory is sort of on the right track. They just have the wrong stuff flowing. They use their words for it. My words may be wrong according to someone else. Happeh Theory describes that same effect. Something flowing to the brain. That same something is flowing to the arms and legs to keep these people healthy into old age. Lack of that something in an area like the hip is what causes people to need hip replacement. I named it "blob" in Happeh Theory. That is what it acts like. I think Asian people would probably call it Yin.)
And, as opposed to a new drug or supplement, for healthy adults exercise "is the kind of thing that we as clinicians wouldn't hesitate to recommend to our patients," Petersen said.
Raymond credits exercise first for his sharp mind and good health.
"I would put it No. 1 before any medications or anything else[/B]," he said.