The Livelong Newsletter

Hi everyone,

With Alzheimer’s diagnoses expected to skyrocket in the next two decades, it’s more urgent than ever to prevent it.

Alzheimer's is an incurable, progressive brain disease that robs people of their memory and thinking skills. It is the leading cause of dementia, and remains one of the top causes of age-related disease and death. 

But we can PREVENT the risks of getting this disease with doable lifestyle habits–like a clean diet, sleep, and exercise. Of these, exercise stands out as one of the most powerful tools. 🚴

While all forms of exercise may help, one type may reigns supreme: aerobic exercise. 

Could it even work better than drugs?

Let’s dive in.

Why you should join us in Palm Beach

Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and transform your future at The Livelong Experience on March 28-29 at the stunning Palm House in Palm Beach. To name just a few of the many reasons you need to come:

• 😊 You deserve to live longer! Our event promotes only the most truthful and accurate science proven to extend lifespan.

• 🧬 You’ll meet world-renowned doctors, nutritionists, and researchers: We’re so excited for Dr. Wei-Wu He, Executive Chairman of Human Longevity Inc., a genius in precision medicine and AI.

• ✔️ Indulge in the most advanced health strategies and personalized insights: Longevity is unique to everyone, which is why we have 20+ roundtable sessions addressing every topic that is important to you.

• 🌺 Luxury at Palm House in Palm Beach. This is your chance to learn from the best, connect with like-minded individuals, and invest in your longevity—surrounded by elegance and sophistication.

Cardiovascular exercise shields against Alzheimer’s

Regular aerobic exercise targets the ‘problematic proteins’ that contribute to Alzheimer’s, according to new research published in Brain Research. 

In the landmark study, rats who performed 8 weeks of cardiovascular exercise had a 76% reduction in amyloid plaques, which are deposits formed from the abnormal build-up of a protein called beta-amyloid.

The proof is in the workout

Experts are already well-aware that cardio exercise has some type of preventative benefit against dementia.

• Cardio is any form of physical activity that increases heart rate and breathing rate, and engages large muscle groups for a long time, explains Newsweek.

✨ “I’ve always considered exercise like a miracle ‘drug’ that has brain-boosting effects,” says Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, in an interview with CNN.

For instance, having good cardiovascular fitness was shown to reduce dementia risk in middle-aged adults, according to an article published in CNN.

• Adults with the best cardiovascular fitness could prolong dementia by 1.5 years.

• Even more incredible is the fact that people with a higher genetic risk had the greatest benefit from performing consistent cardiovascular exercise, reducing their risk by 35%.

A separate meta-analysis suggests that the act of exercise alone may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 45%, according to Frontiers.

Exercise can be considered the be the best prevention.

That’s because it “indirectly change[s] other factors of the disease,” or lowers the risk of developing diseases that do increase dementia risk—like diabetes and high blood pressure—write researchers in Frontiers.

And the more exercise you did, the better protected you were.

But how does Alzheimer’s form?

Alzheimer’s forms when amyloid plaques clump together and neurofibriallary [tau] tangles build up in the brain, according to Mayo Clinic.

• This buildup of these misshappen proteins effectively disrupts the communication between brain cells (neurons). 💬

• As a consequence, brain cells disconnect, become starved of nutrients, and eventually die.

There’s also speculation that iron levels in the brain contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s.

• Iron can cause oxidative stress and reduce myelin production, Newseek writes.

• Excess iron (the metal 🏋️) leads to the formation of tau tangles and amyloid accumulation, according to an NIH article.

The cardio cure

🧠 Despite the growing body of evidence that supports cardio for brain health, little research explains HOW it impacts markers of brain health (amyloid and tau) on the cellular level, according to co-author Augusto Coppi, senior lecturer in veterinary anatomy at the University of Bristol, in a statement, writes Newsweek. 

Researchers wanted to change that, designing an eight-week aerobic exercise program to see how cardio exercise affects brain health in the hippocampus region of the brain, and comparing results to the brains of sedentary rats.

There was a tremendous difference between the two brains:

• 🧠 Amyloid plaque reduction: 76% reduction in amyloid plaques in active rats compared with sedentary groups.

• 💥 Less tau Tangles: 63% reduction in tau tangles with daily cardiovascular exercise.

• 🔥 Reduced brain inflammation: 55-68% reduction in brain inflammation in the active group.

• 🌱 Growth of healthy neurons: Healthy neurons grew two and a half times more with regular aerobic exercise.

“Physical activity fundamentally changes how brain cells interact with each other and helps restore critical balance in the brain’s function as it ages,” writes Study Finds.

Other fascinating discoveries

Cardio may also “defeat” other biological features of Alzheimer's disease, including myelin degeneration and iron deposits in the brain, write researchers.

When researchers examined brain health on the cellular level, they observed twice the amount of oligodendrocytes being produced.

• 🧥Oligodendrocytes are useful little cells that produce the myelin sheath, which is a fatty layer of cells that protect nerves and helps neurons communicate quickly.

Consistent with these observations, active mice also had a 58% reduction in iron overload in oligodendrocyte cells, writes Newsweek. 👇

"This research highlights the potential for aerobic exercise to serve as a cornerstone in preventive strategies for Alzheimer's," Coppi said. 

How much cardio should I do?

National guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intense physical activity weekly, or just 30 minutes a day for five days a week.

• 🏃 Cardio exercises can include: Running, rowing, walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, rebounding, dancing, and kickboxing

The future of treating Alzheimer’s

💲Alzheimer’s is a billion-dollar market.💲

Bloomberg Intelligence estimates it will grow to nearly $13 billion by 2030, which could rival–if not surpass–the anti-obesity drug market, Seattle Times writes.

Investments are pouring into research and treatments targeting amyloid plaques and tau tangles. 

• Semaglutide: Patients on Ozempic have a shockingly lower risk of dementia, and new studies will look at its role in early Alzheimer's disease.

• Kisunla: This antibody binds to (and removes) plaque in patients with early disease.

• Trontinemab: Similar to Kisunla, this anti-amyloid drug removes amyloid plaque clumps from the brain.

• Bepranemab: An experimental drug that slows cognitive decline and the rate of accumulation of Alzheimer’s-causing protein tau.

Read more about:

• 🧘 Yoga CAN be cardio. Active flow = best kind of flow.

• 🅰️ The five most effective cardio workouts. You may never have heard of number five!

• 🚸 Exercise and Alzheimer’s risk. Front. Aging Neurosci, 07 October 2021. Sec. Neurocognitive Aging and Behavior. Volume 13 - 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.703691

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