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Update on major health topics

  ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Regular exercise may help stave off dementia.

THE QUESTION: With the number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer's expected to more than quadruple to 16 million in the next four decades, people are searching for ways to prevent the disease. Might exercise help?

THIS STUDY followed 1,740 people who were older than 65 and had normal mental functioning. During a six-year period, 158 of them developed dementia, including 107 cases of Alzheimer's. Based on cognitive tests and records of physical activity (such as walking, bicycling, aerobics and swimming), those who exercised for at least 15 minutes three or more times a week at the beginning of the study were 32 percent less likely to have any type of dementia, and 31 percent less likely to have Alzheimer's, than were those who exercised less often. People who were in the worst physical condition at the beginning of the study benefited the most.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THESE FINDINGS? Older people. One in 10 people over age 65 and about half of those over 85 have Alzheimer's.

CAVEATS: Exercise data, which considered the frequency of exercise but not its intensity, came from records kept by the participants and was gathered only at the start of the study. The authors wrote that the findings suggest that exercise does not prevent but may delay the onset of dementia.

FIND THIS STUDY: Jan. 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine; abstract available online at www.annals.org.

Information

Learn more about Alzheimer's disease: www.alzheimers.organd www.caregiver.org.

STROKE

Eating fruit and vegetables may make an attack less likely.

THE QUESTION: Moms and nutritionists seem to agree: Eat those vegetables and fruit. For people who heed the advice and regularly include apples, bananas, spinach, beans and the like in their diets, does it make a difference? Specifically, does it affect their chances of having a stroke?

THIS STUDY examined data from eight studies that tracked the diets and occurrence of stroke among 257,551 adults, followed for an average of 13 years. During that time, 4,917 of them had a stroke. Based on information given at the start of the studies, people who regularly ate three to five servings a day of fruit and vegetables were 11 percent less likely to have had a stroke than were those who had fewer than three servings a day.

People whose diets routinely contained the most fruit and vegetables — five or more servings daily — were 26 percent less likely to have had a stroke than those who ate the least.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THESE FINDINGS? All adults. The latest dietary guidelines from the government generally recommend eating two cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables a day, although the precise amount varies depending on individual caloric needs.

CAVEATS: The study did not determine whether certain vegetables or fruit may be better than others, relative to stroke prevention.

FIND THIS STUDY: Jan. 28 issue of The Lancet; abstract available online at www.thelancet.com.

The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult a physician.