The Virginia team collected three years of exercise data on more than 2,200 men enrolled in Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. At outset of study, none of men had been diagnosed with dementia or conditions that would prevent them from walking (such as stroke or Parkinson's disease). Over course of several years, two follow up examinations were conducted to assess neurological health.

Almost 160 of men developed dementia during study period. Researchers found that men who walked between a quarter mile and one mile per day had a lower risk of dementia than those who walked less than a quarter mile each day. But in case of this study, more was clearly better because men who walked less than a quarter mile per day had nearly TWICE risk of dementia compared to those who walked more than two miles each day.

------------------------------------------------------------ Walking cholesterol down ------------------------------------------------------------

What is it about taking a daily walk that might prevent cognitive decline and dementia? It could have something to do with cholesterol's association to Alzheimer's disease. Previous research has suggested that high cholesterol levels may increase level of a certain protein that is abnormally processed by people with Alzheimer's disease. This abnormal processing sets off a chain reaction that causes a peptide to accumulate and form tangles that can kill brain cells.

A Georgetown University Medical Center study showed how high cholesterol levels significantly increase rate at which these tangles are formed. In addition, researchers concluded that high cholesterol also increases production of a different protein that transports cholesterol out of cell. And while that's a normal function, in this situation it results in an unfortunate increase of free cholesterol, which has a toxic effect on nerve cells.

Of course, daily exercise is one of best and safest ways to control cholesterol levels. Neither Harvard nor Virginia researchers speculated on why regular exercise through walking might have helped prevent cognitive decline and dementia, but it seems likely that reducing cholesterol levels may have come into play.

Pauline Robinson is a Nutritional and Metabolic Bio Typing Consultant for HealthSmart Nutrition

For Metabolic Bio Typing info go to www.air-water-nutrition-healthsmart.com

I had doctors all over me ... injecting things, taking blood, scanning me and god knows what else.

My clearest memory of that day was suddenly feeling very light headed.

The doctor later told me that I "liked" a drug (I think it was hydralazine) he injected into me. I say "liked" because only a doctor could think I "liked" it. In about 30 seconds I went from feeling what I then considered normal, to being drenched in sweat, head spinning and throwing up my lunch. The nurses told me later that I was as white as a ghost.

I remember asking one of emergency nurses if she thought I would be able to go home that night. She laughed.

I ended up spending 4 days in intensive care, and 6 days in general hospital before they let me go home.

The quality of care, doctors and nurses were all amazing. We have a free hospital system in Australia which sometimes gets a bad rap, but my experience was very positive.

MEDICATION

They never found a cause ... I just have high blood pressure. I take a fair bit of medication, and my blood pressure is now at normal levels.

My doctor told me to buy a blood pressure monitor and record my readings each day. Because I kept forgetting to take my readings, I wrote a software program to remind me. The software also charts readings from my home monitor, and it is clear that my readings have been dropping over last six months. My readings are now around 110-120 over 70-80. Much better, but more importantly, I feel a lot better ... I had no idea that high blood pressure could make you feel so unwell.

If you also have high blood pressure I wish you well! If you have not seen a doctor about it, I highly recommend it ... don't leave it as late as I did, they can help you to feel a lot better!