Memory loss is a common symptom that occurs as the brain ages. But, just what causes the accelerated rate of memory decline in older adults? Is there any way to slow down memory loss due to aging of the brain?
A new study, published in the Journal Alzheimer’s disease, discovered that the rate of memory decline and brain aging was related to physical fitness level, as well as the stiffness of the central arteries (the aorta).
What is Arterial Stiffness?
Arterial stiffness occurs from biological aging and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Inflammation plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis, and consequently, has a huge impact on stiffening of central arteries (major blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the heart). Arterial stiffness leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What’s good for the heart is good for the brain, so, subsequently, stiffness of the aorta impacts brain health. This occurs primarily due to the brain’s high need for oxygen. When oxygen rich blood is not circulating as it should, the brain does not receive as much oxygen and nutrients.
According to the researchers from Swinburne’s Centre for Human Psychopharmacology the rate of memory decline in certain types of memory (such as long term or short term), may be linked to the stiffness of central arteries, combined with a person’s physical fitness level.
The Study
A new study, which will be published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, examined the underlying cause of cognitive deficits in older people living alone. Greg Kennedy, PhD., candidate, and lead study author, explained that “From early adulthood, memory and other aspects of cognition slowly decline, with an increasing risk of developing into dementia in later life.”
“Exactly why this occurs is unclear, but research indicates that exercise and physical fitness are protective,” Kennedy says. “A healthier, more elastic aorta is also theorized to protect cognitive function, by reducing the negative effects of excessive blood pressure on the brain.”
The study evaluated people to find out if a healthier aorta (central blood vessel) was linked to better cognitive function. In the study, 102 women and men, ages 60 to 90, who lived independently in elder care communities, were evaluated in Melbourne, Australia.
Study Findings
The study participants’ fitness levels were evaluated as they were asked to engage in the Six-Minute Walk test. This test involves walking back and forth between 2 markers, 30 feet apart, for 6 minutes.
Those who completed the fitness test were the only people included in the study results, which entailed an assessment of the level of stiffness in the aorta, and subsequent cognitive performance.
“People generally are less fit and have stiffer arteries as they age, which seems to explain the difference in memory ability that is usually attributed to ‘getting older’,” Kennedy says.
In the study, physical fitness had no impact on the stiffness of the arteries, but, Kennedy says this may be since long term fitness (which is a better predictor than current fitness level) was NOT evaluated in the study.
“The results of this study indicate that remaining as physically fit
as possible, and monitoring central arterial health, may well be an
important, cost effective way to maintain our memory and other brain
functions in older age,” says Kennedy.
