Frontline: Exercise to limit anxiety; Lower stroke risk; Dementia-associated agitation
Reduce Anxiety Symptoms with Regular Exercise
Anxiety disorders are commonly treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and/or medications, and research suggests that getting regular exercise also can have significant benefits. Seventy percent of the study participants were women, average age 39, who had anxiety disorders; about half the participants had experienced anxiety for at least 10 years. The participants were divided into three groups: One did moderate exercise, one did strenuous exercise, and one (the control group) received advice on physical activity based on public health guidelines. Both exercise groups had 60-minute training sessions three times a week, which included both aerobic activity and strength training. After the 12-week program, most participants in the exercise groups went from a baseline level of moderate to high anxiety to a low anxiety level. Those who did moderate exercise were more than three times as likely to report fewer, less severe anxiety symptoms as those in the control group, and those who did strenuous exercise were almost five times as likely to report improvements. The exercise groups also reported a reduction in symptoms of depression. The study was published online Oct. 10, 2021, in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Lower Stroke Risk Linked with Eating Less Fat from Animal Foods
A diet that includes lots of red and processed meats raises the risk of stroke, according to an analysis of 27 years of data from more than 117,000 participants. The study found that participants who ate the most vegetable foods containing polyunsaturated fats (such as olive oil) were 12 percent less likely to have ischemic strokes compared with those who ate the least. Conversely, participants who ate the most animal fat, which included fat from red and processed meats but excluded dairy fat, were 16 percent more likely to have strokes than those who ate the least. No association was found between consuming fat from dairy foods and stroke risk. These findings were presented Nov. 8, 2021, at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2021, but have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Drug Commonly Used for Dementia-Associated Agitation Found Ineffective
Agitation—inappropriate verbal, vocal, or motor activity and/or physical and verbal aggression—is a common symptom of dementia that is sometimes treated with the medication mirtazapine (Remeron). But a recent study published online Oct. 23, 2021, in The Lancet found that this drug was ineffective at reducing agitation. In the study, the participants were randomized to receive either mirtazapine or a placebo. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that there was no less agitation in the participants who took mirtazapine than in the control group. If your loved one has dementia, it’s a good idea to review all medications he or she takes with his or her doctor to seek medications or other treatments that are effective and have low risks of harmful side effects.
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