Health&Wellness Magazine July 2014 | Page 25

For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | July 2014 & 25 Can people change their risk of dementia through diet, exercise or supplements? Centenarians Health & Wellness under Study By Dr. Tom Miller, Staff Writer Those of us approaching the century mark in age are a unique group of people. As we age, we begin to realize that changes occur in our bodies, and we begin to wonder about those changes occurring now and into our 80s and 90s. Researchers at the University of California have been examining some very interesting research questions for several years. They have been focusing on questions such as: Do our brains as we age show evidence of memory loss and dementia? Do people with dementia have differences in their brains that can be detected and treated? What kinds of things can people change in their lives to so they might live longer? Can people change their risk of dementia through diet, exercise or supplements? Drs. Claudia Kawas, Maria Corrada, Annlia Paganini-Hill, and Dana Greenia are the primary investigators for what has come to be known as The 90+ Study. All participants in The 90+ Study were once members of The Leisure World Cohort Study (LWCS), which was started in 1981. The LWCS mailed surveys to every resident of Leisure World, a retirement community in Orange County, California. In 2003, the National Institute of Health funded and extension of this study of the oldest of the old. Keep in mind that this group of Americans is