06/06/06 Excercise and Alzheimers

We are only beginning to understand how much and how early the onset of Alzheimer's in my husband 75 year old mother has impacted her relationship with family members and her ability to function in society for many years. It has been tragic to realize that while she began to show signs of the disease in her early 60's, we failed to recognize them. It is also sobering, especially in light of the shifting dynamics of the parent/ child relationship that is currently occurring with my husband and his mother to realize that Alzheimer's is hereditary. But there is hope, and it is coming from here in the Northwest. A new study from the Group Health Center for Heath Studies in Seattle involving 2200 people over the age of 65 for a period of 12 years concluded that individuals who kept physically fit delayed or prevented the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia while those in poor shape may actually increase the risk of the disease. This good news gives my husband and I even more incentive to get off that couch.