NEW ORLEANS -- Add one thing to your routine and you will lower your chances of getting Alzheimer's and dementia, plus a free study wants to help seniors remain independent without disabilities.
- There may be yet another good reason to have weight lifting be a part of regular routine, well into your senior years and even for your entire life.
The Archives of Neurology reports a study showing that older people with strong muscles reduce their chance of getting Alzheimer's Disease. Weight and overall physical activity have also been linked to Alzheimer's.
Grip strength and breathing-muscle strength had the biggest effect on Alzheimer's risk. Doctors say this evidence supports the link between physical health and being mentally alert in later years.
- Can exercise also keep you walking well into your senior years? The LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge was awarded a nearly $6 million federal grant to study seniors from this area for two years.
Doctors want to determine if a certain type of physical activity can keep the elderly from being disabled. Doctors say how long you live is not as important as how long you will live well. They are looking for 70 to 89-year- olds who can not walk at least four blocks, to be in the study. You can call to see if you qualify for the free study at 225-763-3000.
- And finally, there may soon be a new kind of ice cream on the market to help cancer patients feel better. It's called "Recharge", and it's a medicinal form of ice cream designed to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy.
The new strawberry ice cream that's being tested will have a higher amount of two active ingredients normally found in milk. Test results are a year away.
