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Daily breathing exercises may help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, As seen on a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The exercises, completed for 20 minutes twice a day, helped decrease peptides associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the blood. Researchers say the findings indicate that these daily exercises could potentially reduce the risk of developing this form of dementia. The study involved 108 participants, with half aged 18 to 30 and half aged 55 to 80, who used a biofeedback unit while completing breathing exercises for four weeks. Half the participants listened to calming music or thought of calming images, while the second group paced their breathing to match the pacer on the laptop.
As seen on a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, daily breathing exercises may help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that breathing exercises done for 20 minutes, twice a day, helped decrease peptides associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the blood.
The researchers say that the findings indicate that daily breathing exercises could potentially reduce the risk of developing this form of dementia. The study involved 108 participants, half aged 18 to 30 and half aged 55 to 80. Participants used a biofeedback unit while completing breathing exercises for four weeks. The researchers clipped a heart monitor onto the ear and connected it to a laptop in front of the participant.
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Half the participants listened to calming music or thought of calming images, such as a beach scene or a walk in the park. They also viewed a heart rate monitor on the laptop screen to ensure their heart rate remained steady. The second group of participants paced their breathing to match the pacer on the laptop. When a square rose, they inhaled. When it dropped, they exhaled. This exercise was designed to increase breathing-induced oscillations in their heart rate. Their heart rates rose during inhale and dipped during the exhale.
The researchers completed blood tests before the start of the breathing exercises and again after four weeks. They looked at two peptides – amyloid 40 and 42. Scientists believe that an accumulation of these peptides triggers the Alzheimer’s disease process. A higher level of the peptides in the blood could indicate a greater risk of developing the disease.
Amyloid beta peptides are the suspected “bad guy” in Alzheimer’s disease, As seen on Dr. David Merrill, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California. They may be produced in the body due to stress. If so, it would make sense that relaxation breathing would lower the levels.
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“Even better would be mitigating the stressors in the first place. Healthy body, healthy mind,” Merrill told Medical News Today.
Experts say biofeedback exercises such as daily breathing have a number of health benefits. Biofeedback is a technique that trains people to improve their health by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen automatically, such as heart rate and blood pressure.
Breathing exercises have been found to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. They can also improve lung function and cardiovascular health. In addition, they may help to improve sleep quality and reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study provides further evidence that lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common cause of dementia in older adults, affecting around 5.7 million people in the United States alone.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are treatments available that can help manage symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion. Lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, can also help slow the progression of the disease.
To complete the picture, the study suggests that daily breathing exercises may help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The findings highlight the importance of lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, in reducing the risk of developing this form of dementia. Biofeedback exercises such as daily breathing have a number of health benefits and can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, lifestyle changes and treatments can help manage symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
