Folic acid supplementation for 3 years slows age-related cognitive decline

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 380-380
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

scholarly journals Folic acid supplementation increases cutaneous vasodilator sensitivity to sympathetic nerve activity in older adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (5) ◽  
pp. R681-R688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Stanhewicz ◽  
Jody L. Greaney ◽  
Lacy M. Alexander ◽  
W. Larry Kenney
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Sympathetic Nerve ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vascular Responsiveness

During heat stress, blunted increases in skin sympathetic nervous system activity (SSNA) and reductions in end-organ vascular responsiveness contribute to the age-related reduction in reflex cutaneous vasodilation. In older adults, folic acid supplementation improves the cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) response to passive heating; however, the influence of folic acid supplementation on SSNA:CVC transduction is unknown. Fourteen older adults (66 ± 1 yr, 8 male/6 female) ingested folic acid (5 mg/day) or placebo for 6 wk in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. In protocol 1, esophageal temperature (Tes) was increased by 1.0°C (water-perfused suit) while SSNA (peroneal microneurography) and red cell flux in the innervated dermatome (laser Doppler flowmetry; dorsum of the foot) were continuously measured. In protocol 2, two intradermal microdialysis fibers were placed in the skin of the lateral calf for graded infusions of acetylcholine (ACh; 10−10 to 10−1 M) with and without nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blockade (20 mM nitro-l-arginine methyl ester). Folic acid improved reflex vasodilation (46 ± 4% vs. 31 ± 3% CVCmax for placebo; P < 0.001) without affecting the increase in SSNA (Δ506 ± 104% vs. Δ415 ± 73% for placebo; NS). Folic acid increased the slope of the SSNA-to-CVC relation (0.08 ± 0.02 vs. 0.05 ± 0.01 for placebo; P < 0.05) and extended the response range. Folic acid augmented ACh-induced vasodilation (83 ± 3% vs. 66 ± 4% CVCmax for placebo; P = 0.002); however, there was no difference between treatments at the NOS-inhibited site (53 ± 4% vs. 52 ± 4% CVCmax for placebo; NS). These data demonstrate that folic acid supplementation enhances reflex vasodilation by increasing the sensitivity of skin arterioles to central sympathetic nerve outflow during hyperthermia in aged human subjects.

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

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