Alzheimers

The article was titled "Being Fit May Slow Alzheimer Brain Atrophy". The disease makes brains shrink faster, but a study finds that the physically fit had less shrinkage. Getting a lot of exercise may help slow down brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimers disease, a preliminary study suggest. However the more physically fit did not do significantly better on tests for mental performance. This is only a starting point for exploring whether exercise and physical fitness can slow progress of Alzheimers. While brains shrink with normal aging, the rate is double with people with Alzheimers. The study included 57 people with early Alzheimers. Their physical fitness was assessed by measuring their peak oxygen demand while on a treadmill and brain shrinkage was measured by MRI scans. The results fit in with previous indications that things people do to protect heart health can also pay off for the brain.

(Chapter 8 p.305) Obesity is associated with health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and increased risk of heart attack, and possibly Alzheimers disease. (Chapter 2 p.74 and Chapter 6 p.234-235) Among the many neurons tha communicate using acetylcholin4e are those active in controlling movement of the body, in making new memories, and in slowing the heartbeat and activating the digestive system. No wonder, then, that disruptio of acetylcholine systems can result in a wide variety of problems, including the loss of memory and , eventually of all mental powers that is seen in Alzheimers disease. The formation and storage of new memories are associated with at least two kinds of changes in synapses. One is occuring while stimulation of the environment promote formation of new synapses. The other kind of change occurs as new experiences change the operation of existing synapses. The memory problems seen in Alzheimers patients are related to a lack of neurons that use acetylcholine and send fibers to the hippocampus and the cortex.