From the ArcaMax Publishing, Health & Fitness Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/healthtips/s-380330-394184
LONDON, Ontario (UPI) -- Exercise helps prevent many health problems
but Canadian review of studies found there isn't enough evidence to
show it helps treat dementia.
Review lead author Dorothy Forbes of the University of Western Ontario
said researchers have shown that exercise can improve cognition and
mental health in older adults and some studies suggest that it could
delay dementia from three to six years or reduce the risk that
patients will develop cognitive problems.
"It is less clear if physical activity manages or improves other
symptoms among persons with a diagnosis of dementia," Forbes said in a
statement.
However, the review authors found only four studies that examined the
effects of exercise in humans with dementia and two of the studies
weren't included because the reviewers could not get details from the
original study authors.
Both of the remaining studies were small and only included Alzheimer
disease patients. One looked at 11 patients; the other examined 134
but many of those didn't complete the exercise regimens.
However, the researchers in the latter study found that those who did
exercise seemed to do better at handling the tasks of daily living.
The review is published in The Cochrane Library.