-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! TUESDAY MARCH 06 2001 Dementia linked to an excess of idleness BY MARK HENDERSON, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT PEOPLE who take part in few recreational activities during youth and middle age appear more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their more energetic peers. A comparison of almost 200 elderly Alzheimer’s patients with healthy friends and neighbours in America revealed that those with the neurologicial condition had tended to participate much less frequently in leisure pursuits, ranging from basketball to theatre, between the ages of 20 and 60. The discovery, by scientists at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in Ohio, indicates for the first time that an inactive lifestyle may contribute to an increased risk of dementia in old age. The results could also signify, however, that an apparently idle lifestyle may be a reflection of the early effects of Alzheimer’s disease before the symptoms can properly be diagnosed. In the study, details of which are published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a research team led by Robert Friedman analysed 193 patients with symptoms of Alzheimer’s, along with a control group of 358 healthy people of the same age. To ensure a comparable social and educational background, the control group was chosen from among friends and neighbours of the patients. Each participant from both groups — or a close relative — answered a questionnaire about the way in which they used leisure time between the ages of 20 and 60, which covered 26 common pursuits, including football, swimming, gardening, theatre, watching television and roller-skating.The results showed that people who went on to develop Alzheimer’s had, on average, taken part in fewer types of recreational activity, for less time, and at a lesser intensity. While the control group had participated in 16 of the 26 activities at least once, the Alzheimer’s patients had tried only 13. The healthy group also devoted more hours per month to leisure pursuits, and were more likely to favour “intellectual” or “physical” activity, such as theatre and sport, over “passive” pastimes such as watching television. The difference between the groups was greatest when it came to enjoying intellectual pursuits between the ages of 40 and 60. This could indicate that neurological changes are at work, the scientists said. The scientists said the results could stem either from the idea that intellectual or physical activity protected against the onset of Alzheimer’s, or the prospect that inactive people could be suffering from early, undiagnosed symptoms of the disease. “We conclude that the diversity of activities and intensity of intellectual activities were reduced in patients with Alzheimer’s disease compared with the control group,” Dr Friedman said. “These findings may be because inactivity is a risk factor for the disease, or because inactivity is a reflection of very early subclinical effects of the disease, or both.” If inactivity does raise the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s, it could explain why the disease is more common in Western societies than in the developing world. Dr Friedman said: “A protective relationship between high activity levels and Alzheimer’s disease may explain partially the low prevalence of the disease in rural India or urban Nigeria. Activity levels in developing countries are certainly very high.” *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! 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