Tufts Newsletter September 2012

“Even well into your “golden years,” staying active both physically and socially can add to your lifespan, according to a new Swedish study. Karolinska Institute scientists followed 1,810 men and women age 75 and up for 18 years, during which 91.8% died. Those who were physically active and participated in social activities lived an average 5.4 years longer than less-active participants. Even at age 85 or older, an active and social lifestyle was associated with an extra 4 years of longevity. Other factors associated with longer life included normal weight (about 1 year longer than those who were underweight), not smoking (1 year) and alcohol use (1.3 years longer than nondrinkers). Maintaining a rich social network was associated with living 1.6 years longer. The most important single factor in longevity, however, was physical activity, which by itself was linked to an extra 2 or more years of life.”

And I can’t help but add – I just ran across an article on the web on Ernestine Shepherd, the Guiness World record holder for oldest female body builder. NOT THAT I aspire to be a body builder, but she is an inspiration and proof that our muscles don’t have to atrophy just because we’re getting older. Check her out: http://ernestineshepherd.net/?page_id=2

My most trusted source -Tufts University – put out a special report recently that summarizes some of the key things we can do to add life to our later years. “While you can’t turn back the calendar, you can do something to affect your biological age—the toll the years take on your body and your health.”  Read more…

“Staying active with a variety of activities is best, as each type of exercise may offer unique benefits for your brain health and may even help your brain to grow as you get older, rather than shrink.

For instance, a review of more than 100 studies, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, revealed that both aerobic and resistance training are important for maintaining cognitive and brain health in old age. The lead researcher, Michelle Voss, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Iowa, noted multiple benefits of each.  As reported in the Los Angeles Times:

“Aerobic exercise improves ability to coordinate multiple things, long-term planning and your ability to stay on task for extended periods. Resistance training, which is much less studied than the aerobic side of things, “improves your ability to focus amid distracters.”

… Voss explained that MRIs of people in their 60s showed increases in gray and white matter after just six months of exercise. This happens in the prefrontal and temporal lobes, sites that usually diminish with age. With exercise, Voss says, they grow.

Voss also explained that the hippocampus area of the brain, key for memory formation, shrinks 1% to 2% per year in those older than 60, but when people in this age group begin fitness regimens, it grows by 1% to 2% instead. Beyond growing one’s brain, exercise improves the ability of different parts of the brain to work together, Voss says.”

Just as I have always thought, moderate running, especially for us older types, really is beneficial — and for me, much more fun!

June 2012:

When it comes to exercise, research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine suggest moderation really is a virtue. Scientists at the University of South Carolina and other institutions analyzed data on 52,656 American adults participating in the 31-year Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Participants underwent at least one physical and answered questions about their exercise habits; about 27% reported running, though at varying levels. Looking at data on the 2,984 participants who died, the new study found that runners were 19% less likely to die of all causes than non-runners. But running in moderation – 1-20 miles a week at 10-11 minutes per mile – was most strongly associated with reduced mortality risk, more so than not running at all or running longer or faster. “These data certainly support the idea that more running is not needed to produce extra health and mortality benefits,” researchers commented, adding, “More is not better, and actually, more could be worse.”

August 2011: Even if you can’t squeeze in the recommended 30 minutes a day of exercise, a new study from Taiwan suggests that a little activity is still better than none at all. Just 15 minutes a day of exercise, or 90 minutes a week, was associated with a 14% lower mortality rate and an extra 3 years of projected life expectancy, compared to no exercise at all. Researchers quizzed 416,000 adults on their exercise habits and calculated their projected life expectancy, then followed participants for about 8 years. Both women and men benefited from as little as 15 minutes of daily exercise, and each extra 15 minutes of daily activity was associated with an additional 4% lower risk of death. An editorial accompanying the findings said the study “may convince many individuals that they are able to incorporate physical activity into their busy lives. – The Lancet”

Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter, January 2012

People at higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease may be able to offset that propensity by exercising, according to a new observational study at Washington University in St. Louis. Researchers used PET scans to image the brains of 163 participants, ages 45-88, who tested normal on a test for cognitive decline. They identified 52 as carriers of APOE epsilon-4, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Among sedentary APOE epsilon-4 carriers, the scans showed greater buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain associated with the development of Alzheimer’s. But the carriers who were physically active, meeting the American Heart Association guidelines for regular exercise, showed no more buildup of amyloid plaques than found in the brains of non-carriers. Although the study wasn’t designed to prove cause and effect, the scientists noted that the genetic risk “makes beneficial lifestyle factors, such as exercise, preferentially important.” – Archives of Neurology