dementia » Beyond Prescriptions

Spring is definitely a springboard for wanting to get out of the house and literally smell the flowers. I had just spoke with my daughter about making daily plans to go on the 3 mile walk near our home at Bolin Creek. and then learned about a study done by the researchers at the University of Michigan about the many benefits that walk can have.

Published in Psychological Science, the researchers reported that walking outside in parks or in nature helps improve attention span and memory performance by 20%. This perked my interest since in my last post about dementia, memory loss is definitely a cause for concern.

The participants in the study exhibited increased levels of alertness, satisfaction and mental tranquility after just one hour interacting with nature. They also reported that their stress had decreased significantly and they felt more in control of their mind. Wow…this is sounding better and better!

Another risk factor for dementia includes diabetes. The Duke University Medical Center recently reported that walking briskly for 30 minutes every day lowers your odds of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. And of course taking those steps can help burn calories. 5,000 steps per day can burn as many as 200! And 10,000 steps per day is touted as leading to optimum health.

So grab those walking shoes and enjoy the beautiful budding trees. Remember, Dr. Oz stated that even if there is a natural disaster such as tornado, hurricane or earthquake, we need those 30 minutes of walking a day for our health!

I often catch myself pondering about the subject of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease whenever I misplace my keys again, or so often find myself walking into a room and then wondering for what purpose was I there. I know I am not alone with this fear.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s report, “2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures”, 5.3 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The data examined covered the years 2000 to 2006 and found that deaths from Alzheimer’s increased by 46% compared with heart disease, breast cancer and prostate cancer deaths, all which have decreased in their numbers.

Another disturbing fact from this report discovered that African Americans are almost twice as likely as whites to have Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and Hispanics are about one and a half times more likely to be stricken with it.

So what do we do with this new information? Alzheimer’s expert, Steven DeKosky, Senior Vice President and Dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, gives us the following preventative tips to reduce the risk of developing dementia:

Exercise…I am working on developing that habit now!
Watch our lipids (cholesterol), blood pressure and abdominal girth…hopefully my success with CINCH is helping with that abdominal girth!
Exercise our brain by staying active (challenge yourself with puzzles, etc.) Just being on the internet daily seems to be exercising my brain quite a bit!

Another good reason to watch our weight is the connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s, two diseases that are increasing at an alarming rate within the U.S. Diabetic patients have a 30% to 65% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease compared to the non-diabetic individual.

So, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, if we are forgetting recently learned material, have problems staying organized (that one scares me!) losing track of steps in making a call or playing a game, forgetting simple words more often, putting a watch in the sugar bowl (??) and paying bills twice or not at all…..perhaps we need to realize these are not normal behaviors and may be a cause for concern. But not to worry if we are just misplacing the keys. (Well, that’s a relief!)

Beyond Prescriptions

That Walk in the Park Can Help You Live Longer

We All Need To Be Worried About Dementia