The Connections Between Exercise And Your Health
An observational study by Denise Head, PhD, and colleagues at the Washington University in St. Louis found that people with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s might be able to counterbalance that susceptibility through exercise. They used PET scans of 163 participants who were between the ages of 45-88 to gather the information. Each had normal scores in a clinical test for cognitive decline. Out of these 163 people, 52 were identified as carriers of APOE epsilon-4,[1] which is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
The sedentary participants in this study who carried the APOE epsilon-4 showed a greater buildup of amyloid plaques in their brain. This type of plaque has been associated with the development of the disease. A comparison between the sedentary participants and those who were physically active, according to the American Heart Association guidelines, showed the buildup of this amyloid plaque was no different from that found in the brains of non-carriers.
The scientists have not determined how exercise is affecting these plaques, but they surmise that physical activity may be triggering metabolic and cerebral function changes that tend to reduce the buildup.
Is running a half to a full marathon safe your heart?
It appears to be a myth about runners dropping dead from a heart attack while racing in a marathon. According to a review of ten years’ worth of data on nearly 11,000,000 runners, this rarely happens.
An evaluation of the potential risk of suffering a heart attack while running revealed that out of a database of 10.9 million runners with an average age of 42 who were participating in marathons and half marathons, only 59 cardiac arrests were fatal.
In fact, cardiac difficulties amongst these long distance runners are low in comparison with other types of athletic populations. These populations included collegiate athletes, triathlon participants and healthy middle-aged joggers.
Even though the chances of a cardiac event is relatively low, it is still best to talk with your healthcare provider before undertaking this strenuous type of activity.
After examining the data, the discovery was made of an increased risk of heart attack for males in the later years of the study, January 1, 2000 to May 31, 2010. The scientist believe this increased risk was due to the fact that more higher risk men were trying the sport without first getting checked out with their doctors.
[1] Inheritance of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 allele is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
Stay strong, and remain passionately committed to your heart’s chosen path.