Latest news with #Alzheimers Association
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Worried about Alzheimer's? Start walking, according to a new 10-year study
If you needed another reason to get your daily steps in, science just handed you one. A new study shows that walking daily can reduce the risk of cognitive decline — especially among those with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease. Almost 3,000 participants between the ages of 70 and 79 reported their daily walking habits over the course of 10 years, according to research that will be presented Tuesday at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Those who reported maintaining or increasing their walking habits over the years showed greater improvements in processing speed and executive function. The benefits of walking were especially noticeable among those with a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to the preprint, which has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal. 'We know sedentary behavior increases as you get older, and physical activity decreases,' said senior study author Dr. Cindy Barha, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary in Alberta. 'So we recommend reducing your sedentary behavior by introducing small bouts of walking in between those times you have to be sitting down.' How does Alzheimer's disease work? Alzheimer's disease is a severe form of dementia thought to be caused by a buildup of harmful plaques in the brain that interfere with how the nerve cells communicate, eventually leading to their death, Barha said. As more nerve cells die, people with Alzheimer's can develop progressive memory loss, confusion, personality changes and physical decline. Eventually, the disease can be fatal, and there is no known cure. Genetics are thought to play a major role in the disease. Specifically, genotypes called APOE affect the metabolism of plaque and other fats throughout the bloodstream. One specific kind, APOE4, is known to make it harder for the brain to clear the plaques and is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. About 15% to 25% of people have this version of the APOE gene, and the only way to find out is from a genetic test, according to data from the US National Institutes of Health. The mind-body connection Although the new study did not test a uniform walking regimen, Barha suggests walking multiple times daily to break up sedentary behavior and maintaining consistent walking habits year to year to prevent cognitive decline. 'More research is really needed to determine how many steps that really takes, but more is definitely going to be better,' she said. 'The next steps would be to actually try to figure out the minimum amount of walking for different subgroups, (such as) females versus males, APOE4 carriers versus non-carriers.' A 2022 study found that even people who walked about 3,800 steps per day at any speed cut their risk of dementia by 25%. What might be going on between the brain and the rest of the body? Experts have several theories. For one, regular exercise has been shown to help the body produce more of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is like fertilizer for your brain, helping it grow more cells and form new connections, Barha explained. 'We're thinking there's proteins released from the muscle that travel to the brain and, either across the blood-brain barrier or at the blood-brain barrier, start a reaction that eventually leads to increases in BDNF within the brain,' she said. Another theory is that exercise reduces neuroinflammation, a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease. The brain sends immune cells called microglia to attack plaque buildup, but this can backfire, explained Dr. Christiane Wrann, an associate professor of medicine at the Cardiovascular Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Chronic inflammation can lead microglia to begin attacking healthy brain cells as well, damaging the brain's connections. 'If you exercise, you actually strengthen the gene expression program that microglia need to function properly,' Wrann said. Does greater risk mean greater reward? The researchers were surprised to find that walking provided the greatest benefit to those with the APOE4 gene compared to those without it. To understand why this is, more research will be needed — but Barha has a theory. 'Before the study started, we think APOE4 carriers had more room to grow in terms of cognition, since they may already have been experiencing some cognitive decline,' she said. 'They also have more room to show improvement.' It's possible that the study itself also motivated participants with APOE4 genes to walk more than they had been beforehand, slowing their rate of decline. 'This is a very strong example (that) it's never too late to start exercising,' Wrann said. 'Every step counts, and it's much better to do an exercise regimen that you actually like, that you can actually stick to.'
CNN
2 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Worried about Alzheimer's? Start walking, according to a new 10-year study
If you needed another reason to get your daily steps in, science just handed you one. A new study shows that walking daily can reduce the risk of cognitive decline — especially among those with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease. Almost 3,000 participants between the ages of 70 and 79 reported their daily walking habits over the course of 10 years, according to research that will be presented Tuesday at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Those who reported maintaining or increasing their walking habits over the years showed greater improvements in processing speed and executive function. The benefits of walking were especially noticeable among those with a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to the preprint, which has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal. 'We know sedentary behavior increases as you get older, and physical activity decreases,' said senior study author Dr. Cindy Barha, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary in Alberta. 'So we recommend reducing your sedentary behavior by introducing small bouts of walking in between those times you have to be sitting down.' Alzheimer's disease is a severe form of dementia thought to be caused by a buildup of harmful plaques in the brain that interfere with how the nerve cells communicate, eventually leading to their death, Barha said. As more nerve cells die, people with Alzheimer's can develop progressive memory loss, confusion, personality changes and physical decline. Eventually, the disease can be fatal, and there is no known cure. Genetics are thought to play a major role in the disease. Specifically, genotypes called APOE affect the metabolism of plaque and other fats throughout the bloodstream. One specific kind, APOE4, is known to make it harder for the brain to clear the plaques and is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. About 15% to 25% of people have this version of the APOE gene, and the only way to find out is from a genetic test, according to data from the US National Institutes of Health. Although the new study did not test a uniform walking regimen, Barha suggests walking multiple times daily to break up sedentary behavior and maintaining consistent walking habits year to year to prevent cognitive decline. 'More research is really needed to determine how many steps that really takes, but more is definitely going to be better,' she said. 'The next steps would be to actually try to figure out the minimum amount of walking for different subgroups, (such as) females versus males, APOE4 carriers versus non-carriers.' A 2022 study found that even people who walked about 3,800 steps per day at any speed cut their risk of dementia by 25%. What might be going on between the brain and the rest of the body? Experts have several theories. For one, regular exercise has been shown to help the body produce more of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is like fertilizer for your brain, helping it grow more cells and form new connections, Barha explained. 'We're thinking there's proteins released from the muscle that travel to the brain and, either across the blood-brain barrier or at the blood-brain barrier, start a reaction that eventually leads to increases in BDNF within the brain,' she said. Another theory is that exercise reduces neuroinflammation, a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease. The brain sends immune cells called microglia to attack plaque buildup, but this can backfire, explained Dr. Christiane Wrann, an associate professor of medicine at the Cardiovascular Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Chronic inflammation can lead microglia to begin attacking healthy brain cells as well, damaging the brain's connections. 'If you exercise, you actually strengthen the gene expression program that microglia need to function properly,' Wrann said. The researchers were surprised to find that walking provided the greatest benefit to those with the APOE4 gene compared to those without it. To understand why this is, more research will be needed — but Barha has a theory. 'Before the study started, we think APOE4 carriers had more room to grow in terms of cognition, since they may already have been experiencing some cognitive decline,' she said. 'They also have more room to show improvement.' It's possible that the study itself also motivated participants with APOE4 genes to walk more than they had been beforehand, slowing their rate of decline. 'This is a very strong example (that) it's never too late to start exercising,' Wrann said. 'Every step counts, and it's much better to do an exercise regimen that you actually like, that you can actually stick to.' EDITOR'S NOTE: Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Alzheimer's risk could rise with specific sleep pattern, experts warn
A new study has found a link between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and Alzheimer's disease. The research from China, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia by the Alzheimer's Association, analyzed the sleep cycles of 128 adults in varying states of cognition. The study found that the highest occurrence of REM latency — which is when it takes longer for someone to reach the first REM period after drifting off to sleep — was associated with the highest risk of Alzheimer's. The researchers concluded that prolonged REM latency may serve as a "novel marker of risk factor" for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation in California, said this study adds to "growing evidence" that specific sleep features, like prolonged REM sleep, are linked to Alzheimer's biomarkers. "REM sleep is the stage of sleep when dreams mostly occur, and is critically important for memory consolidation and emotional processing," Utah-based Troxel, who is also author of "Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep," told Fox News Digital. This new research aligns with findings from Troxel's own lab, which have shown that other signs of poor sleep health — like shorter duration and poor quality — are associated with worse cognitive function. "Sleep disruptions may contribute to the buildup of amyloid and tau proteins, key features of Alzheimer's pathology," the sleep expert said. "But it's also important to note that the Alzheimer's disease process itself can disrupt sleep, suggesting a bidirectional association between sleep problems and cognitive decline." Dr. Giulio Taglialatela, vice president and research institute director of the Brain Health Institute at the University of Texas Medical Branch, reacted to these findings in a separate interview with Fox News Digital. Taglialatela said it's been "long understood" that getting a good night's sleep is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. "Our brains use sleep to clear out toxic proteins, like those associated with Alzheimer's, and these results show that the cleaning mechanism is less effective when it takes someone longer to enter the REM cycle," he noted. "Unfortunately, there is nothing an individual can do to control how long it takes to enter REM sleep," the expert." "Our brains use sleep to clear out toxic proteins, like those associated with Alzheimer's." However, the expert said, the findings provide a "promising avenue" for predicting the likelihood of someone eventually developing dementia. "Early intervention in Alzheimer's is essential for delaying its progression, and measuring REM sleep could be a marker to indicate who may be a candidate for treatment even before they start to show impaired cognitive function," Taglialatela said. The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged – primarily that it was cross-sectional, "and thus the direction of the association cannot be determined." The sample size was also relatively small, and the researchers only focused on one specific type of tau protein. There is also the possibility that monitoring sleep in a clinical setting may introduce "environmental disturbances," impacting sleep measurement accuracy, the researchers noted. "Future studies will benefit from research in real-world home settings," they wrote. While these findings are important, Troxel said, she encourages individuals to not allow the information to be "another source of worry that keeps you awake at night." "Avoid the tendency to become overly fixated on metrics like REM sleep percentage or latency from consumer sleep trackers, as they have limited accuracy in determining sleep architecture," she cautioned. "Obsessing on such data can increase anxiety, which is a powerful sleep disruptor." The best approach is to focus on the foundations of good sleep health, the expert said. Adults should strive for seven to nine hours of shuteye and should maintain consistent sleep and wake times, according to Troxel. "Obsessing on such data can increase anxiety, which is a powerful sleep disruptor." "Minimize common disruptors such as excessive caffeine and alcohol, which are known to fragment REM sleep, [as well as] screen use before bedtime," she added. "Focusing on these core sleep habits is the most effective and evidence-based way to support the brain and overall health." Taglialatela also encourages individuals to focus on creating an "ideal sleep environment" while maintaining "good bedtime habits" to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
