For Brain Health: Eat Well and Exercise

We've all read the scientific evidence declaring how eating right and regular exercise can promote a healthy life for mature adults. Neurologist Dr Scott Small of Columbia University has found a relationship beween regular exercise and better function of the dentate gyrus.
The dentate gyrus is a small area in the brain's memory center, the hypocampus, which is extremely sensitive to the aging process but is not in the same area where Alzheimer's begins.
So let's all get out and add exercise to our daily routine.                                 Associated Press Report

Have FUN while boosting your cardio, improving your balance and strengthening your bones and brain.

Stanford's Laura L. Carstensen say's  "Dancing is a terrific exercise; it's fun and something most people can easily do." It pumps up your cardio system, strengthens your infrastructure (bones), works all the major muscle groups, builds stamina and coordination and improves balance and flexibility.

Best yet: Learning new steps ramps up brain power.  All forms of dancing diminish loneliness by combining the key elements of brain health :learning new things and socialization.
Get out there and have some fun line dancing--you don't need a partener.

Vascular Dementia and cocoa

USA Today reports a small, preliminary study published in the journal Neurology. Vascular neurologist, Farzaneh A. Sorond, co-writer of the study at Bringham and Women's Hospital in Boston, says "This is the first measure that could potentially identify individuals at risk before they develope (vascular) demenia disease."  The study followed 80 people older than 60 with risk factors such as high blood pressure or diabetis.  Both groups were told to drink 2 cups of hot cocoa daily.
Test at the beginning of the trial revealed about one third of the participants had early signs of memory loss. Those participants (not the higher functioning people) showed improvements in their
blood flow and cognitive test performance after one month of cocoa intake.
Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operation at the Alzheimer's Assoc. is not
encouraging mature adults to start drinking cocoa hoping it will save them from dementia.
One cup of cocoa has 100 calories, some fat and sugar. Always talk to your own medical
professional prior to changing your diet.

Scientists Find Clue to Age-Related Memory Loss

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, led by neurologist Dr.Scott Small,
have found a compeling clue in the quest to learn what causes age-related memory
decline. Their report suggests age related memory loss is a distinct condition, different
from pre-Alzheimers. So it may be considered to be normal "old age forgetfulness"  and
eventually be treatable.
After examining, young and old, brains of deceased individuals without neurologic
disease they discovered certain genes in a specific part of the hippocampus (the
brain's memory center) quits functioning properly as it produces amounts of a key protein
RbAp48, in mature adults.
Researchers suspect the dentate gyrus is highly vulnerable to the aging process but is not located
in the area of the brain where Alzheimers begins to form. Testing in older mice, who show the
same forgetfulness as older humans, showed that when mice were deprived of the RbAp48 protein memory decline was present. Their memory ability returned to it's previous level when the said protein was reintroduced into their diets.
We already know that routine exerecise also makes the dentate gyrus (the age targeted spot in the brain's hypocampus) function more efficiently and effectively.  
 Reported by Lauran Neergaard    Associated Press

ipad use if you have an implanted heart device.

Researchers at Central Valley Arrhythmia, Stockton,CA found the iPad 2 may cause implanted
heart devices to malfunction when placed on users chests. They found the magnets in an iPad
may alter the settings if implantable cardioverter defibrillators and possibly deactivate them.
Do not fall asleep with an iPad resting on your chest. To avoid this problem hold the iPad at a normal
reading distance.   Presented at the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting in Denver, CO.