Weight Loss on Vegan Diet
American Journal of Medicine (September 2005)

A group of 59 overweight and postmenopausal women ages 44 to 73 was divided into two groups, where half ate a low-fat vegan diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, and the other half followed a more moderate low-fat diet. At the pre-study level, participants were instructed to maintain exercise and not to limit their portions.  Both groups attended a one-hour meeting once a week, and they prepared their own meals or ate at restaurants. After 14 weeks, the vegan group lost a mean of 12.7 pounds of body weight compared with the control group, which lost a mean of 8.3 pounds of body weight. The vegan group had significantly greater reductions of body mass index and waist circumference and enjoyed unlimited servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy foods that enabled them to lose weight without feeling hungry.

Eating soy-based foods lessens the progress of osteoporosis in women after menopause, a time when hormonal changes can rapidly thin bones and increase the risk of fractures. Replacing estrogen through hormone replacement therapy has been found to carry health risks, including stroke.  Soy protein from soy milk, tofu, soy sprouts, and fresh soybeans has been viewed as a possible alternative. In this study, a sampling of 24,000 women participating in the three-year Shanghai Women’s Health Study, found post-menopausal women who ate the most soy protein had a 37 percent lower risk of bone fracture compared with women who consumed the least soy. The women were divided into five categories of soy consumption, with those in the highest-consuming group eating at least 13 grams per day, while the low-consuming group ate five grams per day.

Regular Exercise Fights Pain                

Arthritis Research & Therapy (September 2005)

Older persons who exercise regularly experience fewer aches and pains than other people their age who are less active. For 14 years, researchers followed a group of running club members and a similar group of non-runners in their mid-60s. Overall pain increased in both groups during the study, but regular exercise was associated with a significant reduction in pain over the long term. Runners, however, had a slightly higher percentage of broken bones reported during the study. Researchers found joint and muscle pain to be 25 percent lower among the regular exercisers, compared with their more sedentary counterparts. Researchers say this reduction in pain persisted over the average ages of 62 to 76 after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index.

Fitness and Mobility Exercise Program Helps Stroke Patients Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (October 2005)

To examine the effects of a community-based group exercise program for older individuals with chronic stroke, 63 persons with chronic stroke who were living in the community were randomized into an intervention group or control group. The intervention group underwent a fitness and mobility exercise (FAME) program designed to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, mobility, leg muscle strength, balance, and hip bone mineral density. One-hour sessions took place three times a week for 19 weeks. The control group underwent a seated upper extremity program. The intervention group had significantly more gains on all outcome measures than controls. The FAME program is beneficial for improving the complications resulting from physical inactivity in older adults living with stroke. It may serve as a model of a community-based fitness program for preventing secondary diseases in adults with chronic conditions.

Center on an Aging Society (September 2005)

The new report Caregiving and Paid Work: Are there tradeoffs? examines both working and non-working caregivers ages 25 to 64. It notes that about one-third of all caregivers, regardless of age, are in the workforce. Among those primary caregivers of working age, 58 percent are employed, with more than 80 percent employed full-time. The report discusses the issues associated with working caregivers, including effects on productivity, work adjustments, use of formal services, and other factors. The report can be found at www.aging-society.org.

The Commonwealth Fund (September 2005)

A new study reports that more than half of the nation’s 16 million caregivers, or nine million adults, have health problems of their own, and many cope with severe financial stress. Researchers say caregivers ages 19 to 64 are more likely than non-caregivers to not be working, to miss days of work if they are employed, and to lack health insurance coverage. As a result, many are financially vulnerable and struggle to obtain needed medical care. The authors urge policymakers to take steps to ease caregivers’ burdens. For more information, see A Look at Working-Age Caregivers’ Roles, Health Concerns, and Need for Support, at http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=293045.

1.4 Million American Kids Are Caregivers              

National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Hospital Fund

(September 2005)

As many as 1.4 million American children between the ages of eight and 18 provide care for an older adult, including approximately 400,000 kids between the ages of eight and 11. These and other data are contained in the landmark study Child Caregivers in the United States: Findings from a National Study. Researchers also found that young caregivers – half of whom are boys – are more likely to come from households with lower incomes; are less likely to be from a two-parent home; and are more likely than their non-caregiving counterparts to experience depression and anxiety. The survey Child Caregivers: A First Look at an Unstudied Population can be seen at http://www.caregiving.org/pubs/.

Complex Work May Cut Risk

Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences (September 2005)

In a study of more than 10,000 older Swedish adults who were part of a twin registry, researchers found that people with a history of “complex” work had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The same held true even among twin pairs in which one was affected by Alzheimer’s but the other was not – a situation that factors in the influence of genes and upbringing. The study found that the complexity of a worker’s interactions with other people – with teaching as an example of higher complexity – showed the strongest link to a lower risk. Men and women with the most challenging jobs were 22 percent less likely to develop the disease compared with those who did the least complex work. The findings fit in with other research that has linked higher education, as well as mentally stimulating leisure activities like reading and doing crossword puzzles, to a lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

In Search of Prevention

Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center (September 2005)

A new 28-page booklet summarizes up-to-date research findings on risk factors and potential Alzheimer’s disease prevention strategies. Genes, Lifestyles, and Crossword Puzzles: Can Alzheimer’s Disease be Prevented? can be viewed or downloaded for free at http://www.alzheimers.org/pubs/PreventingAD/TOC.htm.

A Call for Action

Alzheimer’s Spoken Here (September 6, 2005)

A growing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are becoming more outspoken about their need for recognition and participation in decisions that affect them. A grassroots effort is underway that urges the Alzheimer’s Association to adopt a 10-point plan aimed at encouraging the Chicago-based organization to be more inclusive of people with dementia on a local and national level. This “Call for Action” is being signed by people with dementia and their family members, friends, and professionals. The document and signatures will be presented to the Association’s leadership team this month. You can view or download the “Call for Action” and signature forms at www.alzsh.net.

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