CHICAGO - In older individuals, exercise is associated with an increase in the number of large-diameter vessels in the cerebral region of the brain and with an increase in blood flow in the three major cerebral arteries, researchers announced at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, which is being held here this week.

As the investigators noted, narrowing and loss of small vessels may contribute to cognitive decline. This area of the brain controls functions that include consciousness, memory, initiation of activity, emotional response, language and word associations.

A study of 12 healthy older adults, ages 60 to 80 years, was conducted by Feraz Rahman and colleagues at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Six subjects exercised over 3 hours a week in aerobic sports on a regular basis for 10 or more years, while the other six had exercised less than 1 hour a week during that period.

“The numbers are small because it is hard to find healthy older adults who can participate … especially inactive but still healthy older adults,” Rahman explained. Age and cognitive ability were similar in the two groups and both groups were relatively healthy, with no significant cardiovascular or psychological conditions, including depression.

Rahman’s team used MRI and other methods to visualize cerebral blood vessels and determine cerebral blood flow.

Active subjects had more small blood vessels and greater cerebral blood flow than inactive individuals, Rahman told meeting attendees.

The total number of vessels with a radius of 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters was approximately 150 in the active individuals and approximately 100 in the inactive group.

“We found that as the blood vessel radius went up, the blood flow went up in the active group, while an increase in radius correlated with a decrease in blood flow in the inactive group,” Rahman reported.

“We also found that a loss of small vessels is not an issue in active adults, because the average vessel size (more…)

Learn about a lesser-known benefit of exercise - exercise helps you detoxify your body. Walking, running, trampoline exercise, swimming and other types of exercises are described in terms of detoxification.Exercise detoxification is an effective method of cleansing many vital organs simultaneously and should become a regular part of your life. When was the last time you got some exercise?
In past generations, people had physically demanding jobs. Even the less demanding desk jobs required walking to do filing and going to meetings. With the progress of computers and telecommunications, many people can do their jobs today by sitting at their desk and using technology to do their filing and participate in meetings. Without benefit of exercise, this has made most of us much more sedentary. (more…)

First federal guidelines set minimum amount of activity adults need
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Get moving: The nation’s new exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that’s 2 hours a week.

How much physical activity you need depends largely on age and level of fitness.

Moderate exercise adds up for sluggish adults. Rake leaves, take a quick walk around the block or suit up for the neighborhood softball game. More fit adults could pack in their week’s requirement in 75 minutes with vigorous exercise, such as jogging, hiking uphill, a bike race or speedy laps in the pool.

Children and teens need more - pretty brisk activities for at least an hour a day, say the government guidelines being released Tuesday. (more…)

In the face of a growing obesity epidemic in the United States, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have new study results that indicate that how much fat a person has is not as important as where that fat is located when assessing risk for cardiovascular events and metabolic disease.

“We are facing an obesity epidemic, which obviously affects many things – metabolic abnormalities, cardiovascular disease, etc.,” said Jingzhong Ding, M.D., lead researcher and an assistant professor of gerontology. “Now we are finding out that where the fat is distributed is of high importance.”

The findings of the study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health, will appear in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a publication of the American Society for Nutrition. (more…)

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - The major public health message delivered by all professionals today is that the average American has a great deal of control over their own-well being. They offer advice on how to minimize the risk of premature disease and death. The goal is to help people die young – at a very old age. But, the message is falling on deaf ears. Why?

In the mid-1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “I see one-third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished.” If he looked at us today he’d see an over-caloried, under-exercised, air-conditioned, computerized, and highly mechanized population. Today: 66% of Americans are overweight; over 30% have high blood pressure; heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the 3 leading causes of death; 23.6 million have diabetes, and 17.6 million overuse alcohol and half of those suffer from alcoholism. Yet, as an individual, you have a great deal of control over the prevention and treatment of each of these conditions.
(more…)

Tori Cihla , NewsoftheNorth.Net

Q. As I’ve been getting older and slowing down a little, I’ve found I don’t get the same enjoyment out of things I used to. Recently I began a fitness program and I’ve noticed an improvement in my mood as well. I was just curious if that is something to do with the exercise? ~T.J., Lakeland

A. There are a lot of benefits that the right type and amount of exercise can give you. Lower cholesterol, lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, decreased body fat, improved bone density, as well as increased stamina and longevity just to name a few. (more…)

Previous research has shown that people who exercise do better on memory tests. And it’s also true that, when you exercise, you experience an endorphin high and feel great. Moreover, you increase your brain’s blood supply and create a compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, that induces nerve cells to grow, branch out, and make connections with one another — all signs of an ageless brain.

“Why Stem Cell Research May Be Irrelevant”

By Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.

I have great news to share!

Creating new brain cells was previously thought to be impossible in humans, but not any more. And you don’t need to have an injection of stem cells into your brain to do it, either.

As you may know, stem cells are your body’s basic building blocks, used for repair and growth. And when it comes to your brain, stem cells turn into new neurons or brain cells. These brainy stem cells then produce a chemical that protects other brain cells, even damaged ones, from deteriorating. (more…)

An 11-year study of more than 25,000 men and women ages 45 to 79 years of age found that healthy lifestyle behaviors equated to a longer life. By eating lots of fruits and vegetables, exercising, drinking alcohol if desired (but not too much), and not smoking individuals may live an additional 14 years.

Read more here.