多運動可減少患老年癡呆症風險
A new study finds that an active lifestyle may help protect against Alzheimer's-related brain changes in people who have a well-known genetic risk factor. This factor is the e4 allele (version) of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene.
一項新的研究表明經常運動能幫助那些有老年癡呆症遺傳因素的人們降低患病風險。這種遺傳因素是載脂蛋白Ee4等位基因。
"The presence of an APOE e4 allele is the most established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease, with a higher percentage of individuals with Alzheimer's disease having an e4 allele in comparison with the general population," the authors write in the article published online Jan. 9 in the journal Archives of Neurology. It's been suggested that the presence or absence of this gene variant might affect the relationship "between lifestyle factors such as exercise engagement and risk of cognitive decline and dementia," added researcher Denise Head and colleagues at Washington University, St. Louis.
“載脂蛋白e4等位基因的存在是患老年癡呆症的最大潛在威脅，患有老年癡呆症的人羣跟普通人羣相比，他們體內含有的e4等位基因比例更高。”該研究的作者在《神經學檔案》1月9日的電子刊上如此說道，“據研究這種基因的存在與否可能會影響運動量等生活方式和認知功能下降及癡呆之間的關係。”研究員Denise Head及其聖路易華盛頓大學的同事們補充說。
They examined the association between exercise and amyloid deposits in the brain among 201 cognitively normal patients, ages 45 to 88, with and without the APOE e4 allele.
他們檢測了201位45-88歲認知正常的病人，以瞭解運動和腦部澱粉沉積的關係。這些人有的體內含有載脂蛋白E的e4等位基因，有的人體內沒有。
Deposits of amyloid protein in the brain have long been associated with Alzheimer's disease.
澱粉樣蛋白沉積和老年癡呆症有很大關聯。
Patients with an active lifestyle had less cerebral amyloid deposition than those with a sedentary lifestyle, the study found.
研究發現積極運動的病人大腦澱粉樣蛋白的含量比那些久坐的人要少。
The researchers conclude that the presence of the APOE e4 gene "is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and elevated amyloid deposition." But they add that, "exercise engagement has been associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline and lower levels of amyloid deposition."
該研究總結載脂蛋白E的e4等位基因的存在會使認知功能下降的風險提高，並增加澱粉樣蛋白沉積量，但他們也補充說“積極運動可以減少認知功能下降的風險，並降低大腦澱粉樣沉積蛋白含量”。
"In summary, our findings suggest that exercise at levels recommended by the AHA [American Heart Association] may be particularly beneficial in reducing the risk of brain amyloid deposition in cognitively normal e4-positive individuals," they concluded.
“總之，我們的研究認爲美國心臟協會推薦的運動量對於e4等位基因陽性的認知正常病人降低腦部澱粉樣蛋白沉積大有裨益。”研究人員總結說。
