scholarly journals Mechanisms Underlying Non-Pharmacological Dementia Prevention Strategies: A Translational Perspective

Author(s):  
V. Alanko ◽  
C. Udeh-Momoh ◽  
M. Kivipelto ◽  
A. Sandebring-Matton

Since developing an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been encountered as a challenging task, attempts to prevent cognitive decline by lifestyle modifications have become increasingly appealing. Physical exercise, healthy diet, and cognitive training are all modifiable, non-pharmacological lifestyle factors considered to influence cognitive health. Implementing lifestyle modifications on animal models of AD and cognitive impairment may reveal underlying mechanisms of action by which healthy lifestyle contribute to brain health. In mice, different types of lifestyle interventions have been shown to improve cognitive abilities, alleviate AD-related pathology and neuroinflammation, restore mitochondrial function, and have a positive impact on neurogenesis and cell survival. Different proteins and pathways have been identified to mediate some of the responses, amongst them BDNF, Akt–GSK3β, JNK, and ROCK pathway. Although some important pathways have been identified as mediating improvements in brain health, more research is needed to confirm these mechanisms of action and to improve the understanding of their interplay. Moreover, multidomain lifestyle interventions targeting multiple risk factors simultaneously may be a promising avenue in future dementia prevention strategies. Therefore, future work is needed to better understand the synergistic impact of combinatory lifestyle strategies on cellular mechanisms and brain health.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL4) ◽  
pp. 2950-2954
Author(s):  
Sireesha M ◽  
Gnaneswari RV ◽  
Reddy Santhosh C ◽  
Mahesh PA ◽  
Lakshmi Narasimha G ◽  
...  

Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) is a reproductive metabolic disorder caused by hormonal imbalances within women of fertile age. Mainstay for treating patients with PCOD includes pharmacological therapy and lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle modifications that play a key role in the management of PCOD are weight management, reduction in stress, physical activity, body mass index and dietary changes. There is sparse information regarding the impact of these interventional parameters among the PCOD women in the literature. This study aims to determine the impact of healthy lifestyle modifications in the management of PCOD among young adults and adolescents. It was a prospective interventional study conducted in the Gynaecology outpatient department in Government General Hospital, Kadapa over the time of 6 months from June 2019 to November 2019. Counseling on lifestyle changes and implementation of healthy lifestyle interventions were given to the study population by using the standard questionnaire forms and post counseling changes were collected after 90 days of visit to the clinic. The statistical significance was done by using the unpaired t-test and graph pad version 8.3.0. The total sample of 30 PCOD patients was compared to before patient counseling on lifestyle modifications and after follow-up. The total population was categorized into 2 groups as adolescents (10%) and young adults (27%). The current study showed that there is a significant association between dietary intervention (p <0.0113) and physical activity scores (p<0.029) among the PCOD patients. In PCOD patient’s healthy lifestyle modifications like dietary interventions and Physical activity serves as an effective treatment strategy adjunct to pharmacological therapy and improved the patient reproductive health.


2021 ◽  
pp. jnnp-2021-327396
Author(s):  
David D Ward ◽  
Janice M Ranson ◽  
Lindsay M K Wallace ◽  
David J Llewellyn ◽  
Kenneth Rockwood

ObjectiveTo optimise dementia prevention strategies, we must understand the complex relationships between lifestyle behaviours, frailty and genetics.MethodsWe explored relationships between frailty index, healthy lifestyle and polygenic risk scores (all assessed at study entry) and incident all-cause dementia as recorded on hospital admission records and death register data.ResultsThe analytical sample had a mean age of 64.1 years at baseline (SD=2.9) and 53% were women. Incident dementia was detected in 1762 participants (median follow-up time=8.0 years). High frailty was associated with increased dementia risk independently of genetic risk (HR 3.68, 95% CI 3.11 to 4.35). Frailty mediated 44% of the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviours and dementia risk (indirect effect HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.96). Participants at high genetic risk and with high frailty had 5.8 times greater risk of incident dementia compared with those at low genetic risk and with low frailty (HR 5.81, 95% CI 4.01 to 8.42). Higher genetic risk was most influential in those with low frailty (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.40) but not influential in those with high frailty (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.28).ConclusionFrailty is strongly associated with dementia risk and affects the risk attributable to genetic factors. Frailty should be considered an important modifiable risk factor for dementia and a target for dementia prevention strategies, even among people at high genetic risk.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 4836-4846
Author(s):  
Mohsina Hyder K ◽  
Raja D ◽  
Jithin Mohan ◽  
Ponnusankar S

Currently, 314 million people in the world are Prediabetes, and it is predicted that around 500 million would be burdened by the year 2025. Continuing education of diabetes and its complications is crucial, but it should be accompanied with regular assessment of Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) among the high-risk population. That would play a cost-effective role in prevention and control of the disease.This study was carried out to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among the newly diagnosed Prediabetes screened over selected districts of South India.This study was conducted through prediabetes screening camps over districts of Calicut, Wayanad and Malappuram in Kerala and The Nilgiris district in Tamilnadu from September 2017 to October 2019. A questionnaire survey was done as a part of a prospective open-label interventional study with 308 prediabetes individuals. Baseline characteristics of the participants were obtained, and their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding Prediabetes were assessed. The finding of the present study revealed 90% of the respondents had poor knowledge, 9% had average knowledge, and only 1% had good knowledge of Prediabetes. In the attitude assessment, only 1.9% had a strongly positive attitude, 14% had a positive attitude, 54% had neutral attitude while 17% had a negative attitude and 13% had a strongly negative attitude. Regarding healthy lifestyle practices, 35.4% had a deplorable practice that scored below 6. Around half of the population, 52.3% had poor practice, 12% had proper training, while only 0.3% had a perfect practice.Knowledge and practice regarding lifestyle modifications among prediabetes participants were found to be reduced. 


2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762110066
Author(s):  
Liana Lianov

Burnout rates among physicians are rapidly rising. Leaders in the movement to address burnout have made the case that health care workplaces need to foster a culture of well-being, including trusting coworker interactions, collaborative and transparent leadership, work-life balance, flexibility, opportunities for meaningful work and for professional development, and effective 2-way communication. The rationale for focusing on organizational change to prevent burnout has pointed to persistent symptoms of burnout even when individual healthy lifestyle interventions are adopted. However, a case can be made that the lifestyle interventions were not implemented at the level of intensity recommended by the lifestyle medicine evidence-base to secure the desired improvement in physical and mental health when facing significant personal and environmental stressors. The lifestyle medicine community has the ethical mandate to advocate for intensive healthy lifestyle approaches to burnout prevention, in conjunction with organizational supports. By combining comprehensive and intensive lifestyle changes with organizational cultures of well-being, we can more effectively turn the tide of physician burnout.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga J. G. Schiepers ◽  
Sebastian Köhler ◽  
Kay Deckers ◽  
Kate Irving ◽  
Catherine A. O'Donnell ◽  
...  

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Y Hung ◽  
Nora L Keenan ◽  
Jing Fang

Introduction: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VII) recommended lifestyle interventions, either with or without pharmacologic treatment, for all patients with high blood pressure. The objective of this study is to determine the association of physicians’ personal habits with their attitudes and behaviors regarding JNC VII lifestyle modification guidelines. Hypothesis: Primary care physicians who have healthier habits, as defined by eating more cups of fruits and/or vegetables, exercising more frequently, and/or not smoking, would be more likely to recommend lifestyle interventions consistent with JNC VII than their counterparts who have less healthy habits. Methods: One thousand primary care physicians completed DocStyles 2010, a voluntary web-based survey designed to provide insight into physician attitudes and behaviors regarding various health issues. Results: The respondents’ average age was 45.3 years and 68.5% (685 of 1000) were male. In regards to physician behavior, 4.0% (40 of 1000) smoked at least once a week, 38.6% (386 of 1000) ate ≥5 cups of fruits and/or vegetables ≥5 days/week, and 27.4% (274 of 1000) exercised ≥5 days/week. When asked about specific types of advice offered to their hypertensive patients, physicians reported recommending that their patients eat a healthy diet (922 of 1000), or cut down on salt (961 of 1000), or attain or maintain a healthy weight (948 of 1000), or limit the use of alcohol (754 of 1000), or be physically active (944 of 1000). Collectively, 66.5% (665 of 1000) made all 5 lifestyle modification recommendations. Physicians who were between 40 - 49 years old were 1.6 times as likely of making all 5 lifestyle recommendations compared with those who were under 40 years. Additionally, those who exercised at least once per week or did not actively smoke were approximately twice as likely to recommend these interventions. Conclusions: The probability of recommending all five lifestyle modifications increased with both the physician exercising at least once per week and not having smoked.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Hussein ◽  
Mostafa Gouda ◽  
Harpal S. Buttar

Abstract: Cancer is a global multifactorial disease consisting of over 200 types of cancers. It is well recognized that primary prevention is an effective way to fight cancers by using natural polyphenolic anticancer foods, vegetables and fruits, avoiding exposure to carcinogenic environment, smoking cessation, and through lifestyle modifications. The present review provides up to date information on the effects and functions of pomegranate juice and its bioactive components on the most widespread six cancer types. Pomegranate contains important polyphenolic compounds such as ellagitannins and punicalagin, with strong antioxidant ability for scavenging free radicals and producing metal-chelates in the biological tissues. The in vitro and in vivo studies suggests that antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties of pomegranate constitute have major antimutagenic and antiproliferative activities for regulating gene expression, modulating cellular mechanisms, and limiting the ability of cancers to metastasize. A limited number of clinical studies have suggested that pomegranate ingredients have the potential for the prevention and treatment of cancer, especially colorectal and prostate cancer. In cancer therapy, it remains a clinical dilemma to hit the right target without inducing side effects. The costly anticancer chemotherapies are often associated with drug resistance and serious side effects in vital organs, and noncancerous neighboring cells. It appears that the pomegranate based phytotherapies would be affordable and cost-effective for next generation non-pharmacologic anticancer remedies with lesser side effects. However, well-designed, randomized, double-blind, and multi-center studies are needed to establish the long-term safety, efficacy and dose schedules for orally deliverable pomegranate formulations.


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