2023-05-08 10:22:00
And study conducted by experts from the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California suggests that a very simple breathing exercise is capable of reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A breathing exercise to prevent Alzheimer’s
The breathing exercise It consists of inhaling for a count of five and then exhaling for the same period of time for 20 minutes, twice a day. Scientists have discovered that this exercise reduces the amount of beta-amyloid proteins in the blood.
Beta-amyloid proteins inflame and damage neurons they interfere in the communication between them and reduce the arrival of nutrients, which can cause their death. They can accumulate in the form of plaques and contribute to the development of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of tau proteins, which are another hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
The key is in the variability of the heart rate
Researchers think that this breathing exercise affects the concentration of beta-amyloid proteins because the way we breathe affects the heart rate, which in turn influences the nervous system and the way the brain produces and eliminates these toxic proteins. .
The researchers recruited 108 participants between the ages of 18 to 30 and 55 to 80 years. They were asked to do the breathing exercise for 20 minutes twice a day while connected to a heart monitor connected to a laptop.
Half of the volunteers were told to think calming thoughts as they breathed, while the other half were told to match their breathing to a pacemaker on a computer screen monitor, with the goal of increasing variability. of the heart rate. Blood samples were taken from the participants at the beginning and following four weeks of exercises.
Reduces beta-amyloid proteins in the blood
The researchers found that respiratory exerciseor was able to drastically reduce the amount of beta-amyloid proteins in the blood.
Instead, lack of sleep and stress increase levels of toxic proteins. in the blood plasma. Studies show that higher levels of beta-amyloid in the blood predict a risk of developing the disease.
The group that breathed slowly and tried to increase their heart rate variability by increasing the oscillations had less beta-amyloid in their blood.
The researchers do not yet understand the mechanism behind their findings. It might be because an increase in heart rate variability causes fewer peptides to be produced or that the body eliminates them better. Professor Mara Mather, director of the Emotion and Cognition Laboratory at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, said: “From the data we have, it appears that the decline in amyloid beta is more due to decreased production.”
The study authors have emphasized that they have been the first to find that behavioral interventions can reduce the level of beta-amyloid peptides in plasma.
“Regular practice of slow breathing through HRV biofeedback may be a low-risk and inexpensive way to reduce plasma amyloid beta levels and keep them low throughout adulthood,” added Dr. Mather.
Activate the parasympathetic nervous system
The respiratory rate depends on the interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing the respiratory rate, while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing the respiratory rate.
When a situation of stress or intense physical exercise occurs, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, which increases the respiratory rate to increase the oxygen supply to the body. On the other hand, cWhen we are at rest or relaxed, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which slows our breathing rate and allows us to breathe more slowly and deeply to conserve energy.
While awake and active, we use our sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”) to move, focus, and create memories. While it’s on, there’s not much variation in time between each beat.
Instead, the parasympathetic system It helps us calm down and sleep. Young people, or older people who are very fit, switch easily between these two nervous systems. But it becomes more difficult to access the parasympathetic system with age.
What is Alzheimer’s?
It is one of the cruelest diseases because slowly robs sufferers of all their memories until they can no longer take care of themselves. lose memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years following diagnosis, but some may live ten to 15 years.
Scientific reference:
1683543863
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