Physical activity improves overall health and reduces the risk of many negative health outcomes and may be effective in improving cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health in older adults. Given the evidence linking physical activity with improvements in various aspects of health and functioning, interventions exploring pathways for decreasing risk of dementia in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and improving outcomes for those with dementia are of critical importance. The present review highlights the work examining physical activity interventions in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of physical activity for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. The primary focus is on aerobic exercise as this is the main intervention in the literature. Our review supports the thesis that physical activity can promote healthy aging in terms of cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. Specifically, physical activity improves cognition, especially executive functioning and memory in MCI, independent functioning in MCI and dementia, and psychological health in dementia. Given that benefits of physical activity have been observed across these domains, such interventions provide an avenue for preventing decline and/or mitigating impairment across several domains of functioning in older adults with MCI or dementia and may be recommended (and adjusted) for patients across a range of settings, including medical and mental health settings. Further implications for clinical intervention and future directions for research are discussed.
Introduction Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles are associated with cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease in Whites, but have weaker and inconsistent effects reported in Latinos. We hypothesized that this heterogeneity is due to ancestry‐specific genetic effects. Methods We investigated the associations of the APOE alleles with significant cognitive decline and MCI in 4183 Latinos, stratified by six Latino backgrounds, and explored whether the proportion of continental genetic ancestry (European, African, and Amerindian) modifies these associations. Results APOE ε4 was associated with an increased risk of significant cognitive decline (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, P‐value = 0.03), with the strongest association in Cubans (OR = 1.46, P‐value = 0.007). APOE‐ε2 was associated with decreased risk of MCI (OR = 0.37, P‐value = 0.04) in Puerto Ricans. Amerindian genetic ancestry was found to protect from the risk conferred by APOE ε4 on significant cognitive decline. Discussion Results suggest that APOE alleles' effects on cognitive outcomes differ across six Latino backgrounds and are modified by continental genetic ancestry.
This cohort study evaluates the association of reported consumption of Mediterranean-diet types of foods and beverages with cognitive performance changes among participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the Study of Latinos–Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging.
Among non-Hispanic whites, cardiovascular risk factors are associated with increased mortality and poorer cognition. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among aging Hispanics is also high and Hispanics generally have poorer access to healthcare, yet they tend to have advantageous cardiovascular disease rates and outcomes and live longer than non-Hispanic whites, an epidemiological phenomenon commonly referred to as the Hispanic or Latino health paradox. Although robust data support these ethnic benefits on physical health and mortality, it is unknown if it extends to include cognition resilience advantages in older adulthood. The present study compared relationships between cardiovascular risk and cognition (executive functions and episodic memory) in late middle age and older Hispanics (n = 87) and non-Hispanic whites (n = 81). Participants were selected from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative databases. Hispanics and non-Hispanic white groups were matched on age (50-94 yr, mean age = 72 yr), education, gender, cognitive status (i.e., cognitively healthy versus mildly cognitively impaired), and apolipoprotein E4 status. History of hypertension and higher body mass index were both associated with poorer executive functions among Hispanics but not non-Hispanic whites. Our findings suggest greater vulnerability to impairments in executive functions among Hispanics with hypertension and obesity, contrary to the notion of a Hispanic health paradox for cognitive aging.
Key Points Question Is hearing impairment associated with cardiovascular disease risk and cognitive function among Hispanic or Latino participants? Findings In this cohort study of 9623 Hispanic/Latino adults, hearing impairment was associated with poorer cognitive performance on all tasks, and cardiovascular disease risk did not attenuate these relationships. Rather, hearing impairment modified the associations between cardiovascular disease risk and learning and memory; only among individuals with hearing impairment, being identified as having excessively high glucose was associated with poorer learning and memory relative to participants considered healthy individuals. Meaning Hearing impairment may exacerbate the associations between high glucose and poorer cognition, particularly for learning and memory among Hispanic or Latino persons.
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