Advancing Alzheimer's Therapeutics: Exploring the Impact of Physical Exercise in Animal Models and Patients.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main neurodegenerative disorder characterized by several pathophysiological features, including the misfolding of the tau protein and the amyloid beta (Aß) peptide, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, synaptic dysfunction, metabolic alterations, and cognitive impairment. These mechanisms collectively contribute to neurodegeneration, necessitating the exploration of therapeutic approaches with multiple targets. Physical exercise has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for AD, with demonstrated effects on promoting neurogenesis, activating neurotrophic factors, reducing Aß aggregates, minimizing the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), dampening inflammatory processes, mitigating oxidative stress, and improving the functionality of the neurovascular unit (NVU). Overall, the neuroprotective effects of exercise are not singular, but are multi-targets. Numerous studies have investigated physical exercise's potential in both AD patients and animal models, employing various exercise protocols to elucidate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and effects. The objective of this review is to analyze the neurological therapeutic effects of these exercise protocols in animal models and compare them with studies conducted in AD patients. By translating findings from different approaches, this review aims to identify opportune, specific, and personalized therapeutic windows, thus advancing research on the use of physical exercise with AD patients.

Percepción sobre mortalidad cardiovascular femenina en trabajadoras de la salud / Perception of cardiovascular disease as a cause of mortality among working women

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Most women perceive oncological disease as their principal cause of death. However, it has been shown that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently the leading cause of mortality in women in developed countries. Aim: to evaluate how this perception has changed in relation to health education campaigns present in Chile during the study period. Method: A survey was performed in 2007 (n= 409) and repeated in 2016 (n=431), including women working at a health institution, divided in 2 groups: professionals with a university degree (U) or health administrative and technical workers (W). The overall perception of CVD as a cause of death increased from 20% in 2007 to 37% in 2016 (p<0.01). The increase in the % of women perceiving CVD as main cause of death was greater in W women (14% to 34%, p<0.01) than in U women (39% to 44%, NS). Oncological diseases, mainly breast cancer, continued to be perceived as the main mortality cause in both groups of women in 2016. Conclusion: Although significant, the increase in % of women naming CVD as the main cause of death at a health institution was relatively small. Campaigns to increase the awareness of the significance of CVD in women should probably be revised.