Loneliness links with Alzheimer's

[dyslimbic]

People who are lonely are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, a large US study has suggested.
The findings come from a study of more than 800 elderly patients, who were followed over a four-year period.

Social isolation has already been shown to be linked to dementia but this is the first time researchers have looked at how alone people actually felt.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6332883.stm

[Tattoo2]

Loneliness, or more importantly, lack of human contact and exchange etc, could put one in a position to suffer from isolation and thus little opportunity to use his mental capabilities. Like anything, the phrase use-it-or-lose-it applies to memory and brain cells too. If we do not keep our minds actively engaged, those parts start to waste away, in a sense, like our muscles. That would have to lead to a deficit of cognition, memory etc. This would be determined to be dementia, but I am not sure how alzheimer's, a specific disease with specific characteristics like the tangles, would come from that automatically. It is, however, very easy for docs to call something Alzheimer's when it could easily be just dementia from a possibly treatable cause. Tattoo

[Tootsie]

Last week's issue of Newsweek had an interesting story on how exercise helps the brain recover, and develop new areas to retard the development of Alzheimer's Disease. There will be more studies coming out along the same line, of how exercise helps the body repair itself.

It is very true that early signs of A.D. may be another type of dementia that is reversible. That is why it is so very important for patients to have a complete physical exam by an internist with lab work and other testing before any diagnosis of A.D. is made. Cheerio.

[Tattoo2]

Thanks for posting this! What date on the edition, and what is the name of the article? I really want to get it. I am doing a project for a population of seniors, abt 80% whom have alzheimer's supposedly. I say it that way since it is too easy to hang that popular label no one would question rather than do a differential diagnosis. Anyway, my project is about strengthening exercises and the benefits to all of us, especially seniors. It has been proven that these exercises can reverse osteoporosis too. It also was written up in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The book is called Strong Women, Stay Young. I would love to include the Newsweek article in my project. Please note the edition's date. Thanks so much. I bought some small free weights, 1 lb, for me at one of the dollar stores for a buck. Tattoo

[Tattoo2]

Thanks, but I found it. It was hard to miss. lol On the front, big as life, is written "exercise and the brain". I got the last copy! Great information. Makes me wonder if I can exercise my way to health in more ways that the usual. Sounds like it. It surely does provide validity to my exercise project. Trouble is that the people I am doing the project for will not even consider the research evidence and will not enact the program. The patients will be the ones to suffer. Regarding the topic of the thread, loneliness, why not kill two birds with one stone? Get a group together and exercise? Tattoo

[Tootsie]

There are several senior groups, who meet in the local indoor malls during the winter months, to walk briskly through the halls, before shoppers descend. Sometimes they gather afterwards at a local coffee shop or cafe to meet and greet, etc. Exercise AND socialization. Cheerio.