The benefits of pool

The benefits of pool

Billiards ... It is difficult to find another such game anywhere so to diversify would appear physical and mental capacities player.

In a game of billiards people constantly moving. During one party player can wind up in total around the table, two - three miles, and even more. In fact, playing in the pool - this is long (from one hour up to ...) useful walk without leaving the premises.

Known is the fact that even in pre-revolutionary times many inactive and apathetic doctors advised patients to play billiards, snooker for them was a great way to support reasonable physical condition.

On top, the game of billiards improves eye, sharpens the player coordinate his movements.

In humans who plays billiards, eyes are rests and restores his sight. The game of billiards triggers active ocular muscles, this phenomenon has some similarity with movement exercises for the eyes, which favorably affect the visual acuity. All of that while playing your eyes have to constantly keep track of the same balls at different distances, among other things, the position of the balls are constantly changing ... Note that most of the professional pool players, even in middle age have excellent vision.

Billiards helps to become more balanced, it teaches players to be patient and cold reason, in other words helping people to acquire a number of qualities he needed in everyday life.

Billiards produces in human the will to win, but at the same time learn to accept defeat with dignity, do not despair and do not lose faith in yourself.

We must not forget that the game of billiards is also a great holiday. Starting to play pool in a few minutes to remove the accumulated stress. Playing human almost completely forget about the daily minutiae and the whole is immersed in the exciting action.

Play Pool and Be Healthy!

Some diets may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Some diets may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, others may increase the risk and according to some studies antioxidant vitamins may be ineffective in the treatment of diseases associated with clouding of the mind.
Some diets that aim to strengthen the heart muscle, also increase the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease ..

Scientists from Columbia University have shown that the use of antioxidants completely ineffective in preventing the disease, tend to think that vitamins do not work on older people, because they are less susceptible to their action, and action is of short duration. This was stated by Dr. Jose Lachsinger Columbia University.

Another study on the effect of fat on the heart and the brain was conducted by Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Chicago Medical Center, Presbyterian St. Luke's. The study involved 815 volunteers aged 65 and older. All were interviewed about diet and eating habits. The subsequent four years later tests showed that in 131 of the test developed Alzheimer's disease.

People who used the saturated fats in large amounts (products of animal origin such as meat, butter) doubled the risk of Alzheimer's disease compared with those who almost never ate food with saturated fats. This risk is particularly increased in those who ate more than 25 grams of saturated fat daily. For comparison, one tablespoon of butter - 7 grams. Those who ate less than 25 grams have a smaller but still significant risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Patients who consumed 14.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat daily (polyunsaturated fats found in vegetables, fish and nuts) reduced the risk by 70%, compared with those who ate little of these fats.

Dr. Morris believes that the Diet is the regular consumation of toast with margarine with polyunsaturated fats, peanut butter, nuts and canola salad dressing. The discovery of researchers is that they proved that the products that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Study about the effect of antioxidants was carried out in New York. 980 patients aged over 75 also interviewed about their food parcels during the first year of a four-year study.
After research on Alzheimer's disease diagnosed 242 patients. The subjects consumed a variety of foods rich in antioxidants, such as oranges, corn oil margarine on, and carrots. Some take vitamin supplements, but the absence or lack of antioxidants in the diet had no relation to the development of the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Antioxidants block the effect of oxygen molecules called free radicals that damage cells. But their action does not preclude the possibility of Alzheimer's disease.

Means of preventing Alzheimer's disease

A group of scientists from the University of Minnesota Medical School, "Mount Sinai" (USA) discovered that isolated from grape seed polyphenols are capable of lowering the content in the brain of a substance called "beta-peptide amilodny Aβ». Its toxic effects on brain cells is the reason of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.

Now the researchers plan to find a biomarker that will enable patients to determine a high probability of developing Alzheimer's disease. This would allow for early prevention of severe illness, even when the symptoms are absent or mild.

7 possible signs of Alzheimer's disease

Human...
-Specifies the same questions over and over again.
- Repeats the same story word for word, again and again.
- Forget how to cook, to fix anything, or those activities that were previously carried out easily and regularly.
- Loses the ability to pay bills.
- Disoriented in familiar surroundings or arranges household items not in their places.
- Neglects taking a bath or constantly wears the same clothes one and insists that he washed his clothes, or even clean.
- Shifts to someone else, such as a spouse, the responsibilities to make decisions or answer questions despite the fact that before doing this myself.

What are the different types of vascular dementia?

There are two main types of vascular dementia: one caused by stroke and one caused by small vessel disease. A third type is a mixture of the two. There are many other types of vascular dementia.
Stroke-related dementia

Stroke is the term used to describe permanent brain damage caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to specific parts of the brain. The symptoms that a person experiences as a result of a stroke depend on which area of the brain has been damaged. If the area in question is responsible for movement of a limb, paralysis might occur. If it is responsible for speech, the person might have problems communicating. Equally, damage to particular areas in the brain can cause the symptoms of dementia.

When vascular dementia is caused by a single stroke, it is sometimes called single-infarct dementia. Vascular dementia can also be caused by a series of small strokes. These can be so tiny that the person might not notice any symptoms, or the symptoms may be only temporary. This is called multi-infarct dementia.

Always consult a doctor if you experience any sudden symptoms, such as slurred speech, weakness on one side of the body, or blurred vision - even if they are only temporary. These episodes may be caused by temporary interruptions in the blood supply within the brain, known as transient ischaemic attacks. If left untreated, they can lead to permanent damage.
Small vessel disease-related dementia

This type of dementia, also known as sub-cortical vascular dementia or, in a severe form, Binswanger's disease, is caused by damage to tiny blood vessels that lie deep in the brain. The symptoms develop more gradually and are often accompanied by walking problems.
Vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease (mixed dementia)

A diagnosis of mixed dementia means that Alzheimer's disease, as well as stroke or small vessel disease, may have caused damage to the brain.

What is vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. This factsheet will help you to understand vascular dementia by explaining the causes, symptoms and treatments available.

What do we mean by 'vascular dementia'?

The term 'dementia' is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is damaged by specific diseases. These diseases include Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Someone with dementia may have difficulties remembering, solving problems or concentrating. Vascular dementia is a type of dementia caused by problems in the supply of blood to the brain.
How does it develop?

To be healthy and function properly, the brain cells need a good supply of blood. The blood is delivered through a network of blood vessels called the vascular system. If the vascular system within the brain becomes damaged and blood cannot reach the brain cells, the cells will eventually die. This can lead to the onset of vascular dementia.

What causes damage to the vascular system in the brain?

There are a number of conditions that can cause or increase damage to the vascular system. These include high blood pressure, heart problems, high cholesterol and diabetes. This means it is important that these conditions are identified and treated at the earliest opportunity.
What are the symptoms?

Vascular dementia affects different people in different ways and the speed of the progression varies from person to person. Some symptoms may be similar to those of other types of dementia.

However, people with vascular dementia may particularly experience:

* problems concentrating and communicating
* depression accompanying the dementia
* symptoms of stroke, such as physical weakness or paralysis
* memory problems (although this may not be the first symptom)
* a 'stepped' progression, with symptoms remaining at a constant level and then suddenly deteriorating
* epileptic seizures
* periods of acute confusion.

Other symptoms associated with vascular dementia may include:

* visual mistakes and misperception
* walking about and getting lost
* changes in behaviour
* restlessness
* problems with continence.

Types of Dementia

There are many different types of dementia although some are far more common than others. They are often named according to the condition that has caused the dementia. Some of the more common types are outlined below.

Alzheimer's disease
vascular dementia
dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)
fronto-temporal dementia (including Pick's disease)
Korsakoff's syndrome
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
HIV-related cognitive impairment
Mild cognitive impairment

Dementia

Dementia is a term used to describe various different brain disorders that have in common a loss of brain function that is usually progressive and eventually severe. There are many types of dementia. The most common are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.


The term 'dementia' is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions.

Symptoms of dementia include
-loss of memory
-confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

Vitamin B may lower Alzheimer's risk

Daily consumption of B- vitamins and folic acid may considerably slow the onset of memory loss in older people and even prevent Alzheimer's disease.


A study of 266 people aged 70 and older showed that large doses of B6, B12 and folic acid reduced the overall senile shrinkage of brains by 30 percent.

Participants were suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition which is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more pronounced decline of dementia. It involves problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment and increases the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

According to the results published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, and PLoS One, brain scans of those who took the prescribed supplements showed that the vitamin pills reduced brain atrophy by 30 percent on average.

Taking the vitamins was even more effective on patients with high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine and reduced brain atrophy among them by 50 percent.

"High homocysteine is a known risk factor for cognitive decline in the elderly and Alzheimer's disease and also for other kinds of dementia like vascular dementia," said lead researcher Celeste de Jager. "It can be damaging to the endothelial lining of the blood cells. It also binds to receptors in the brain that are on the neurons and it seems to contribute the atrophy that's associated with Alzheimer's."

Taking B vitamins and folic acid is known to control the levels of homocysteine, which increases in old age, added the scientist who works with Oxford University.

The new findings "definitively" showed that the vitamins were a good way of preventing mental decline, the study concluded.

"A lot of the time brain changes start in your 40s and 50s before you get clinical symptoms," de Jager told the British Science Festival. "I would think that in middle age people should start thinking about their vitamin levels."

Researchers, however, warned people not to take vitamins without consulting their doctors because supplements can cause some harmful impact on other conditions such as cancer.

Asked if she would take the vitamins as a precaution, Dr de Jager said: "I would ask the doctor to check my B12 and my folic acid levels for starters. "I take supplements when I'm feeling a bit low, I don't take one every day but I would certainly have multi-vitamins and B vitamins in my cupboard."

Alzheimer's drug guidelines

What are the drugs involved?

The three drugs which look likely to be available to patients with "mild" Alzheimer's are Aricept (donepezil), Reminyl (galantamine) and Exelon (rivastigmine).

In addition, NICE says a fourth drug, Ebixa, should be prescribed to patients with more advanced Alzheimer's.

How do they work?

One theory of the origins of Alzheimer's disease in some patients is damage to the "cholinergic" system in the brain, which leads to a shortage of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which has been linked to memory function in Alzheimer's.

All of the three drugs work by inhibiting an enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine - hopefully boosting levels of the brain chemical.

What benefits have been seen?

The drugs do not cure Alzheimer's. There is no proof that the drugs can alter the course of the disease or extend life. However, there is evidence that they can lessen symptoms such as memory loss and confusion in patients with "mild" Alzheimer's. This in turn can improve quality of life, and allow patients to live more independently for longer. One analysis conducted by NICE suggests that they could delay the need for someone to go into full-time care by over six weeks.

However, they do not work for everyone. It is estimated that between 40% and 70% of patients achieve some kind of benefit, and side effects can include dizziness, insomnia and nausea.

Why have the guideline changes been proposed?

NICE says that the publication of further clinical studies into the drugs in the five years since they were last appraised show more clearly the benefits to patients with "mild" Alzheimer's.

Campaigners had argued that the "economic model" used to calculate whether the drugs offered economic "value for money", did not accurately reflect the hidden economic costs of extra care outside hospital.

NICE says this time around it considered new evidence on the possible cost savings of treating early Alzheimer's patients.

How much more will it cost the NHS?

This is not entirely clear yet. The cost of the drugs themselves is roughly £1,000 per year, per patient, but the benefits of the treatment do not continue forever, and the exact number of patients who will benefit has yet to be determined. NICE calculates that more than 380,000 have Alzheimer's, approximately half of these being in the "mild to moderate" group.

The Alzheimer's Society believes the number is higher, but with an estimated 62,000 people developing Alzheimer's each year, it is likely that hundreds of thousands of people could potentially be eligible over the next few years.

However, NICE says it is confident that the extra cost of caring for these patients outweighs the cost of the drugs themselves.

Coffee protects brain from Alzheimer's

For years we’ve been told that was bad for us. It’s unhealthy and addictive, doctors warned. But as vindication for all who stuck by their energizing elixir, a new study shows that coffee may actually be good for our brains. In fact, it may help keep Alzheimer disease away.

The study, which was published early online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, was in mice whose DNA had been tweaked to contain a human Alzheimer’s gene. Just like humans with familial Alzheimer’s, these mice become increasingly forgetful as they age.

Amazingly, the equivalent of four to five cups of caffeinated coffee every few days led to much improved memories in the Alzheimer’s mice, says study co-author Gary Arendash, a scientist at the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Tampa.

Earlier research by Arendash and his colleagues showed that caffee could at least partially block the production of beta amyloid, the sticky protein that clogs the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. They also found that a substance called granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, or GCSF, sparked the production of new axons, the communication cables that link nerve cells together, as well as new nerve cells themselves.

What’s really interesting is that caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee -help us to keep away Alzheimer disease.

For the new study, Arendash and his colleagues “treated” healthy mice and Alzheimer’s mice with either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. Then the researchers ran a test to see if either beverage led to better memories.

The test they used mimics one that is given to humans to diagnose Alzheimer’s. In that test, people are given a bag of objects to look through (we’ll call that Bag A). And then they’re shown another bag of objects (Bag B). Later on, they’re asked to remember what was in Bag A.

Studies have shown that people with Alzheimer’s have a tough time remembering what was in Bag A because the distraction of looking through the objects from Bag B gets in the way of storing the contents of A in their long term memories. That’s generally not a problem for people with healthy brains.

The two part mouse test involved water mazes. The mice has to find -- and remember -- the location of a submerged platform in a tub of water that is deep enough that they need to swim till they find the platform.

After they find the platform in one tub, they’re moved to another tub where they have to find yet another platform. Mice with Alzheimer’s generally have a tough time remembering the location of the first platform when they’re placed in the original tub. But in Arendash’s study, Alzheimer’s mice that got caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee had memories that were just as good as those of normal mice.

Lest you dismiss this study because it’s just in rodents, Arendash says he’s got new data in humans. That data is still being analyzed, he says, but so far it looks like caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee has the same impact in people as it does in mice.

Insulin spray slows Alzheimer's disease

Using a nasal insulin spray twice a day may slow and even reverse the symptoms of memory loss in patients with early Alzheimer's disease.


During a four months study, researchers tested the effectiveness of using insulin spray for people without diabetes who had been diagnosed with mild memory problems related to Alzheimer's disease or with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

Participants were divided into three groups either receiving 20 milligrams of insulin twice a day, 40 mg twice a day or a saline solution as a placebo.

Findings showed those who received 20 mg of insulin improved performance on a memory test after two months. Improvements persisted after four months and were still observable some time after the insulin treatment stopped.

Patients on higher doses of insulin had no change in their memory status, while those who got the placebo showed a decline.

The differences between those on insulin and those on the placebo were "small in absolute terms" but they were robust enough, authors wrote in the Archives of Neurology.

"Our results suggest that the administration of intranasal insulin may have a therapeutic benefit for adults with aMCI or Alzheimer's disease," wrote Suzanne Craft of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington School of Medicine.

"The results of our pilot trial demonstrate that the administration of intranasal insulin stabilized or improved cognition, function and cerebral glucose metabolism for adults with aMCI or AD [Alzheimer's disease]," the researcher added.

According to the report, "these results provide an impetus for future clinical trials of intranasal insulin therapy and for further mechanistic studies of insulin's role in the pathogenesis of AD."

Alzheimer's disease and Health

Alzheimer's disease (AD) - a primary degenerative disease of the brain - is characterized by progressive memory loss and other cognitive functions, as well as behavioral and other disabilities. According to the experts of the World Health Organization, asthma is the most common cause of dementia in elderly and senile age. Prevalence increases with age. In the group of persons over 65 years, the number of patients doubles every 5 years. In a changing demographic situation with the projected aging of the population worldwide problem of asthma is of particular relevance and socio-economic importance. In developed countries, asthma is considered as a future major public health problem. This is due to steadily increasing number of people at risk of developing the disease, and duration of disease and severe disability of patients requiring in some cases life-long hospitalization in special hospitals and orphanages. This disease creates a huge financial difficulties, and great social and psychological problems for the family and society. For example, in U.S. spending on management of patients with dementia in 2009 amounted to 144 billion dollars.

Global prevalence of dementia in the world (with a predominant proportion of BA), according to 2006 is 26.55 million persons. In the U.S., asthma affects 5.3 million people. A lot of people have reduced levels of cognitive function (eg, the syndrome of mild cognitive decline), which eventually may reach the level of dementia, thus increasing the number of sick people. By 2030 it is expected that 7.7 million Americans age 65 and older will suffer with asthma. According to statistical projections, the number of patients with asthma in the United States will steadily progress and may reach 11-16 million by 2050, a similar upward trend in the U.S. registers of patients with asthma and other industrialized countries, as well as in countries where there is a rapid increase in the older segment of the age in the population. According to current data, the global prevalence of asthma and other dementias will increase dramatically the next 40 years. Stunning data concerning forecasting prevalence of dementia worldwide, listed in records in 2009 and 2010, the International Association on the BA (ADI). Thus, the global prevalence of dementia in 2010 would be more than 35 million cases and nearly doubling every 20 years to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050, particularly the sharp increase of patients will occur in middle-and low-income countries.

As already noted, asthma is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Life expectancy as a risk factor for asthma is estimated 1:4-1:2. More than 14% of people over 65 suffer from asthma, and prevalence increased by at least 40% in people older than 80 years. The prevalence of asthma is higher among persons older than 60 years. Some forms of familial Alzheimer's disease with early onset disease may have been even in the third decade. However, these cases are sub groupings of less than 10% of all familial cases of Alzheimer's disease. More than 90% of cases of asthma are sporadic and occur in individuals older than 60 years.

Of interest are data from studies that examine groups of people aged 90-99 years, and century-old and older. Based on an analysis of the data suggested that the risk of disease may increase in persons over 90 years. In this case, age can be regarded as an absolute risk factor for the disease, but more research is needed.

According Plassman et al., The risk of developing asthma is significantly higher in women than in men, mainly due to higher average life expectancy of women compared with men.