Travel nursing professionals, how do your patients rank their physical fitness – good, satisfactory or poor? According to recent study, patients' answers on their levels of exercise may provide a glimpse about their future risk of dementia.
The collaborative study, conducted by the Academy of Finland, tracked 3,559 adults over 30 years old. Researchers found that a simple question about self-rated physical fitness in midlife could reveal individuals who have a greater chance of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Participants who ranked their exercise habits as poor at the median age of 50 were four times more likely to develop dementia in the next three decades compared to those with good self-rated physical fitness.
"Previous research has shown that self-rated health is a strong indicator of adverse health events," Dr. Jenni Kulmala from the Gerontology Research Center at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, said in a press release. "This is the first large population-based study investigating associations between self-rated physical fitness during the three decades from midlife to later life and dementia risk."
The strongest connection between poor self-assessment of exercise and dementia occurred among people with chronic diseases as well as those who did not have a specific gene known as APOE-4. This gene, the researchers explained, is associated with an increased susceptibility for dementia.
It's important to point out that although the study found a correlation between poor self-ranked fitness in middle age and a higher vulnerability of dementia, it didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The researchers noted that the perception of poor exercise is likely affected by different factors, such as a lack of education, isolation, poor mental health and smoking. Those on travel nursing jobs have a unique opportunity to educate patients about the importance of exercise on the health of not only their bodies, but also their minds.
Putting the brakes on dementia
As travel nurse professionals know, dementia is the loss of mental functions that span memory, thinking and reasoning. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 5 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Crucially, Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging. Just because patients get older doesn't mean that they should expect to experience debilitating forgetfulness that interferes with daily functioning.
While no cure for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia has been found yet, prevention stands as perhaps the best remedy. Travel nurses should encourage patients to get out and stay active on a daily basis. Increasing physical activity could help lower the chances of developing the disease. After all, exercise can be considered an investment in one's self. When patients spend more time working out their hearts and lungs, their bodies will thank them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults exercise at least five days a week for a total of 2.5 hours – that includes both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.
Another possible solution to slow down dementia might be yoga and meditation. A separate pilot study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center showed that brain changes associated with meditation and stress reduction play an important role in halting the progression of age-related cognitive disorder like Alzheimer's. Those who practiced yoga and meditation had less atrophy in the hippocampus area, which is known to weaken as people progress toward the disease.
With more research coming out about combating dementia, healthcare staffing professionals can help steer patients in the right direction, offering information about the disorder and ways to prevent it.