Word: vascularized
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Moderate physical activity - even an unhurried 30-minute stroll a day - may diminish the risk for vascular dementia among the elderly, according to a new study published this week in the online journal Neurology...
...Orsola-Malpighi in Bologna analyzed the exercise habits of 749 rural Italians over age 65 during a period of four years. At the beginning of the study, none had memory problems; by the last check up, 85 participants had developed some form of dementia - including Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, which is associated with decreased blood flow to the brain...
While the researchers discovered no noticeable impact of exercise upon development of Alzheimer's - the neurodegenerative disease that accounts for roughly 70% of all cases of dementia - they found a marked impact on the risk of developing vascular dementia, the second most common variation after Alzheimer's. As its name implies, vascular dementia is a condition where restricted blood flow to certain parts of the brain impacts cognitive abilities, affecting the tissue like a series of small strokes...
Study participants who burned the most calories per week while walking - as few as 209 extra calories per week - had a 27% lower risk of vascular dementia than people who did little to no exercise. Those who expended the most energy during moderate activities like biking or yard work had a 29% lower risk. "It means that even small amounts of inexpensive and easy-to-perform exercise - just walking - can be of help to protect you against brain vascular damage," says Dr. Giovanni Ravaglia, the study's lead author, "and this is a type of exercise that even older disabled...
...surprised by this study," says Dr. Zaldy Tan, director of the Memory Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "I think more and more researchers like myself are realizing that prevention is the most effective way of curbing the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia...