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Time Magazine
13 hours ago
- Health
- Time Magazine
Scientists Say These Daily Routines Can Slow Cognitive Decline
Brain experts already know that a number of habits can keep the brain in good shape. Exercise, a healthy diet, staying socially engaged, getting enough sleep, and maintaining heart health can all help slow cognitive decline. But most of that understanding comes from observational studies, which correlate people's behaviors with outcomes while trying to account for other factors that may interfere with the results. While useful, these do not yield the type of solid scientific evidence that doctors like to act on and strongly recommend to their patients. A new study published in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, however, may finally provide the stronger evidence that doctors pass on to their patients. The study included more than 2,100 older adults—ages 60 to 79—who did not have symptoms of cognitive decline or dementia but who were at higher risk for them. Their risk factors included being sedentary, eating an unhealthy diet, having a family history of memory problems or a genetic predisposition for them, having heart disease risk factors, or belonging to certain ethnic groups that have a higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The two groups were randomly assigned to one of two lifestyle programs that ran for two years. One was more structured and involved 38 group sessions in which clinicians and participants set goals for meeting certain health benchmarks. It also included weekly online brain- training sessions, appointments to review lab test results with a clinician, and a $10 monthly rebate, provided by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, for people to purchase blueberries. (Studies have linked the antioxidants in blueberries to slower cognitive decline.) The other less-structured group was provided general information about making brain-healthy changes, met in teams about three times a year, and was provided a $75 gift card at each meeting to spend as they wished on healthy behavior changes. Read More: How to Maximize the Health Benefits of Walking Phyllis Jones, from Aurora, Ill., had a personal reason for joining the study. 'I watched my mom with dementia for 8.5 years,' she says. 'It was very difficult to watch. But what made it harder for me was that I had seen my mother caring for her mother. So I saw two generations ahead of me go through that.' Joining the study, she says, 'gave me a way to try to break the cycle from happening again.' At the end of the study, everyone improved on their cognitive function score, but the group following the more structured program showed significantly greater improvement. On average, those in the structured change group appeared to slow their cognitive decline by one to two years. 'Because of the rigor of the trial, the size of the trial, and the care we took in rolling out the interventions, we now finally have scientific evidence that healthy behavior does matter,' says Laura Baker, professor of gerontology and geriatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 'That's new information. We all think we know it, but until now, we didn't have the science.' Jones, who was part of the structured group, says that prior to the study, she was stressed out at work and not taking care of her health. 'I was not exercising or eating the right things,' she says. The turning point for her, she says, occurred when her son said, ''Mom, I didn't expect to be a caregiver for you at this stage in your life, not yet.' I knew I had to find a way out of this dark hole.' While the structured program required more commitment and accountability from the participants, Jones says she didn't feel discouraged or frustrated with making the changes, since the study ramped them up gradually, and she had the support of other people in her group. 'We had team meetings, and instead of starting out with the prescribed 30 to 35 minutes of exercise a day, four times a week, we started with 10 minutes a day and moved up from there,' she says. 'If you are living a sedentary lifestyle, 10 minutes a day is a good start. And then if you can get through the 10 minutes, you can push to 20 minutes and then get to 30 minutes.' One of the women in Jones' group was Patty Kelly, and the two inspired and motivated each other. Kelly, 81, says she struggled with weight most of her life, and weighed 130 pounds in the third grade. Like Jones, her mother was diagnosed with dementia at 77, and Kelly cared for her for seven years, watching as her mother gradually failed to recognize her family. 'I wanted to make sure my sons did not have to go through that with me,' she says. Both Jones and Kelly say they are different from when they began the study in many ways. Kelly says her driving has improved, which she attributes to the regular brain-training exercises she did on the computer as part of the study. 'At this point, I'm living my life with my arms wide open,' says Jones, who is now working at a job she loves. 'I'm just having a ball.' The improvement occurred in people with the APOE4 genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, as well as those without the mutation—an encouraging indication of the power of lifestyle changes. Read More: 9 Things You Should Do for Your Brain Health Every Day, According to Neurologists Everyone experiences cognitive decline with age, Baker says. But the results provide reassuring evidence that not all cognitive decline that occurs with age is inevitable. The trial was a continuation of a similar study published in 2015 from Finland demonstrating similar cognitive benefits in people at risk of developing Alzheimer's and other dementias who made behavior changes. The current trial was intended to involve a more diverse population at risk of not just Alzheimer's, but the broader condition of dementia. 'It doesn't reverse the clock but it's very clear that it can slow, and pull back the clock by one to two years,' she says. Baker and her colleagues determined this by relying on a global score to measure people's cognitive state—the result of a compilation of different cognitive tests that neuropsychologists typically use to assess brain function. The suite of tests is designed to pick up even the smallest changes in cognitive function, something that cognitive tests to detect Alzheimer's can't do. Baker says she plans to follow the people in the study for another four years to record what impact the behavior changes might have on the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's. About 30% of the people in the trial showed signs of amyloid, the hallmark of Alzheimer's, in their brain scans, although they did not have any symptoms of memory loss or other cognitive deficits yet. Another third carried the APOE4 gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer's, so Baker says following them will provide better insight into 'how to improve cognition as a means of increasing resilience to decline.' Maria Carrillo, chief scientific officer at the Alzheimer's Association (which supported and contributed to the design of the study), says that the follow-up will also include looking at the relationship between behavior changes and Alzheimer's medications for people who have the disease to better understand how making such lifestyle changes early might impact the disease's severity. The researchers are also eager to study how the popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs affect cognitive decline, since some early studies hint that the drugs may help to lower inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease. The rigor of the study means that doctors can, and should, start talking to their patients about making behavior changes to maintain their brain health, Carrillo says. 'This could be something that if we are able to roll it out—which is our intent—through health systems, clinics and public health organizations, we could create something in which more and more individuals out there understand the impact that their everyday activities have in improving their health,' she says. 'Nobody really thinks about cognitive function, and rarely do primary care doctors ask about it. This will change that.' The good news is that even those who made changes on their own experienced some slowing in cognitive decline. That also suggests that even if people adopt part of the behavior changes—starting with their diet, for example, if they aren't able to exercise—they might still improve their brain health. 'Anything is better than nothing,' says Baker. Jones views her new lifestyle as a positive example for her seven-year-old granddaughter, who knows that it's not a good lunch unless it includes a salad. 'She got that from grandma,' she says. She now volunteers as a community educator for the Alzheimer's Association, helping people who are living through the same challenges she faced before joining the study. It's all about taking the first step, and now there's strong evidence that the effort is worthwhile. 'For people who are already doing these things, it gives them hope that they are saving their brain health, and that's great,' says Carrillo. 'For those who are halfway there, this encourages them to take it to the next level and exercise a little more or eat a little healthier. And for those on the other end of the spectrum—who aren't following the program at all—it gives them hope that if they do certain things, they can indeed change their cognitive trajectory. It's good news for everybody.'
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Painted into a Corner: Cowboys suffer another injury at CB; team thin on options
The skeleton crew that is currently the Cowboys secondary just got thinned out even further. Second-year cornerback Caelen Carson, who started five games last season and was set to potentially be an important part of the team's defensive backfield to open 2025, has suffered a hyperextended knee in practice, it was revealed Tuesday. As first reported by ESPN's Todd Archer, the 23-year-old is expected to miss four to six weeks. The unit in Dallas is already missing All-Pro Trevon Diggs, who is recovering from a serious knee injury of his own, one which required tissue graft surgery in January. Rookie Shavon Revel, Jr. is also on the comeback trail from a knee issue that dropped him to the third round of the draft this past spring. Additionally, depth piece Josh Butler tore an ACL late last season; he started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. A fifth-round selection out of Wake Forest in 2024, Carson himself saw his own rookie year derailed early by a shoulder issue; he had been rehabbing from offseason surgery in hopes of helping to carry the load for his rehabbing teammates up until this latest incident. The many question marks at cornerback forced the Cowboys to address the position during the offseason, trading for former first-round pick Kaiir Elam to pair with DaRon Bland. Bland missed some time in recent days due to the birth of a child but looks to return to All-Pro form. And Elam has had an impressive camp thus far. But even that is not enough horses to go into the season with. Just hours before news of Carson's injury broke, the team signed former Bears CB Christian Matthew, who had played in 18 games for the Cardinals and then briefly for Matt Eberflus in Chicago. Carson's recovery timetable could theoretically have him back in the lineup by Week 1, but he will almost assuredly miss the rest of training camp and all three games of the preseason. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Notre Dame, Wake Forest football to play at Bank of America Stadium
Two huge college football fan bases are going to take over Charlotte for a future edition of the Duke's Mayo Classic. The University of Notre Dame will face Wake Forest University in the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic, the Charlotte Sports Foundation announced on Monday. The game will be held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, bringing together two nationally recognized football programs with passionate fan bases and deep-rooted legacies. RELATED >> Anticipation builds in Charlotte for Duke's Mayo Bowl 'Hosting a game of this caliber reinforces Charlotte's place on the national stage for college football,' said Will Pitts, CEO of the Charlotte Sports Foundation.'Fans can now find Duke's Mayo on more shelves than ever before, making the Duke's Mayo Classic a powerful platform to propel our brand into the national spotlight,' said Brad Wile, Chief Growth Officer at Sauer Brands. The exact date and time of the game will be announced at a later date. Tickets for the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic will go on sale later, but you can get updates and presale information at this link. This year's Duke's Mayo Classic will feature a matchup between the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Appalachian State University. (VIDEO: Rock Hill High School football team gives back with free youth camp)
Axios
3 days ago
- Sport
- Axios
Wake Forest takes on Notre Dame in the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic in Charlotte
Notre Dame will take on Wake Forest in the 2027 Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Uptown. Why it matters: It will be one of two Duke's Mayo Classic games at the stadium in 2027 — college football matchups that draw thousands of people to Uptown and pump millions into the local tourism economy. As one of the country's most storied football programs, Notre Dame draws national TV audiences and has a huge fan base known for traveling to games. Wake Forest, about an hour and a half from Charlotte, is a smaller but respected program with a devoted, national fan base. Between the lines: This will be the second time Charlotte has hosted two Duke's Mayo Classic games in a season. However, it won't be a double-header like it was in 2021 when Appalachian State played East Carolina and Georgia played Clemson within a matter of days in Uptown, Charlotte Sports Foundation CEO Will Pitts tells Axios (CSF oversees the Duke's Mayo Classic and several other sporting events in Charlotte). Instead, the games will be spread out. North Carolina A&T will take on North Carolina Central on Aug. 28, 2027, in the Duke's Mayo Classic. The historic rivalry is known as the Aggie-Eagle Classic. Notre Dame and Wake Forest will meet in Charlotte further into the season. The date and time are TBD. Tickets will go on sale closer to the game, but fans can register for presale details at Flashback: Notre Dame and Wake Forest had been scheduled to play each other in September 2020 at Bank of America Stadium, but the game was rescheduled because of COVID, then ultimately canceled. Notre Dame later lost to Clemson that year in the ACC Championship in Charlotte. What they're saying: "Welcoming programs like Wake Forest and Notre Dame not only energizes our local economy but also deepens the city's reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events," Pitts said in a statement.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I'm an Economist: The No. 1 Economic Indicator I Rely On
Economists use a variety of tools and data to predict how well or poorly the economy will do in the near-term. Experts can analyze figures like the gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment rates, inflation, commodity prices and interest rates, according to a fact sheet published on the Library of Congress website. Explore More: For You: But what's the number one indicator economists rely on to forecast the country's financial future? Economists we spoke with agreed that GDP is one of the most important factors — but it may not tell the whole story. The Relevance of GDP 'GDP growth or decline would probably be the standard answer,' said Chris Motola, financial analyst at '[While] it's certainly not the worst [indicator] to use, it can fail to capture what's being experienced on the ground.' Stephan Shipe, Ph.D., CFA, CFP®, a finance professor at Wake Forest University and founder of Scholar Financial Advising, agreed. 'When people ask me for the top economic indicators, the standard trio is GDP, unemployment and inflation,' he said. 'But I don't think any one of those tells the full story in today's environment.' The Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow tool estimated real GDP growth at 2.4% in the second quarter of 2025, which would indicate healthy growth. 'For the United States, a healthy growth rate is around 2%,' said Michael Snipes, associate professor of instruction, Economics at University of South Florida. However, he cautioned that faster growth could be a problem. 'It is possible for economies to grow too quickly,' he said. Shipe noted that GDP can also be artificially inflated by government spending. 'A country can show growth on paper, even if it's just racking up debt,' he said. I'm an Economist: Other Economic Indicators Shipe said he's more inclined to rely on inflation rates, specifically the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as a key economic indicator. 'Prices don't lie. If costs are rising, you have to explain why,' he said. 'It's a market-driven signal that cuts through a lot of noise.' Motola said the Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) would be his top choice for economic forecasting if he had to choose just one indicator. 'The LEI […] is a composite index that tracks 10 factors to check the temperature of the economy,' he explained. The LEI went down by 0.1% in May, after falling by 1.4% in April, according to a press release published by The Conference Board. Is the US Headed Toward a Recession? Motola and Shipe both said they don't see a recession on the horizon, although Motola said the falling LEI 'suggests a somewhat gloomy forecast for the economy.' 'The more pressing concern is long-term solvency, and how persistent inflation could pressure debt and entitlement systems down the road,' Shipe noted. More From GOBankingRates These Cars May Seem Expensive, but They Rarely Need Repairs This article originally appeared on I'm an Economist: The No. 1 Economic Indicator I Rely On Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
