The Influence of Yoga on the Cognitive Function of People Aged 60 Years and Older: A Systematic Review.

Context: With aging, cognition declines, leading to functional limitations and a loss of independence. Yoga is a particular kind of physical activity that can have a positive influence on cognition in older adults, because it aims to improve physical skills and to enhance the ability to focus and to neutralize external mental stimulation. Objective: The literature review intended to evaluate the effects of different types of yoga interventions and to examine which cognitive functions were affected by them for healthy people aged 60 years and older. Design: A search of the terms "yoga and cognition" and "yoga and cognitive function" was conducted using the PubMed and EBSCO databases. For inclusion, an article must have: (1) included healthy participants aged 60 and above, (2) been an intervention lasting between one week and six months, and (3) been an RCT. Three reviewers independently assessed each study. Setting: The Academic College at Wingate, Israel. Participants: Out of 503 articles, only five met the inclusion criteria, and had in total 461 participants, 128 men and 333 women, aged 60 years and older. Interventions: Interventions in the studies lasted between one and six months. Yoga methods included Hatha yoga, Trataka yoga, Iyengar yoga, and Himalayan Siddha yoga. Outcome Measures: Methods and tools applied in the studies were compared. The outcome measures examining cognitive functions included working memory, executive functions, visual memory and processing, focus and attention, and reaction time. Brain physiology outcomes were also screened. Results: An analysis of the type of yoga method was conducted and is presented in terms of the length and frequency of each intervention, the tests applied, and the effects of each intervention. In three articles, with a total of 293 subjects, the yoga intervention groups showed significant improvements in the ability to perform various cognitive functions as compared to the control groups. In two articles, with a total of 168 participants, no significant improvements were found for any of the groups, and none of the articles reported a decline. Conclusions: The studies differed in the type of yoga, length of the intervention, and type of cognitive-function assessments, making results inconclusive. Nevertheless, based on the examined randomized controlled trials (RCTs), overall yoga may offer benefits to cognitive function. However, a greater number of RCTs with a larger number of participants and rigorous research methods are required to support this recommendation.

Religiosity Is Associated with Reduced Risk of All-Cause and Coronary Heart Disease Mortality among Jewish Men.

Previous studies have found an inverse association between religiosity and mortality. However, most of these studies were carried out with Christian participants. This longitudinal study aimed to determine whether a composite variable based on self-reported religious education and religious practices is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality in 9237 Jewish men aged 40-65 years at baseline, over a 32-year follow-up. Jewish men were characterized by their degree of religiosity, from the Ultra-Orthodox ("Haredim")-the strictest observers of the Jewish religious rules, and in descending order: religious, traditional, secular, and agnostic. Demographic and physical assessments were made in 1963 with a 32-year follow-up. The results indicate that Haredim participants, in comparison to the agnostic participants, had lower CHD mortality. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI)-adjusted by age, cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, socioeconomic status, BMI, and cholesterol, was: [HR = 0.68 (95% CI 0.58,0.80)] for Haredim; [HR = 0.82 (95% CI 0.69,0.96)] for religious; [HR = 0.85 (95% CI 0.73-1.00)] for traditional; and [HR = 0.92 (95% CI 0.79-01.06) for secular, respectively (p for trend = 0.001). The same pattern was observed for total mortality. This study shows an association between religious practice among men and a decreased rate of CHD and total mortality.

A Comparison between Different Types and Frequency of Physiotherapy Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Postural Problems and Low Back Pain.

AIM: To examine the effect of a once-a-week group physiotherapy session in addition to a once-a-month individual physiotherapy treatment, in comparison to a monthly individual physiotherapy treatment. METHODS: Fifty children and adolescents aged 10-18 years with poor back posture, some of whom had LBP, met individually with a physiotherapist once a month. The intervention group received an additional once-a-week group physiotherapy session for 12 weeks. Thorax curve angle, postural behavior, and low back pain (LBP) were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS: The thorax curve angle decreased from 39.2 ± 9.3 to 28.2 ± 6.8 (p < 0.001) in the group + individual therapy group and from 38.9 ± 9.3 to 27.9 ± 7.8 in the individual therapy only group (p < 0.001). LBP decreased from 5.6 ± 2.2 to 1.6 ± 1.9 (p < 0.001) and from 5.5 ± 2.1 to 2.8 ± 2.0 (p < 0.001). A significantly greater improvement in postural behavior was found in the group + individual therapy group (p = 0.04). Moreover, attrition rates were lower in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: A lower-frequency individual physiotherapy treatment for 12 weeks proved as beneficial as the same program with an additional higher-frequency group physiotherapy in improving thorax curve angle and LBP. However, the higher-frequency group physiotherapy in addition to the lower-frequency individual treatment was significantly more effective in improving postural behavior and adherence to treatment.

The effect of a stability and coordination training programme on balance in older adults with cardiovascular disease: a randomised exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are considered a leading factor in mortality and morbidity. The older adult population with cardiovascular diseases has a higher risk of falls as compared to a matched age healthy population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of stability and coordination training within a cardiac rehabilitation programme on fall risk in older adults with cardiovascular diseases enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: Twenty-six people with cardiovascular diseases (age 74±8) were divided randomly into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 20 min of stability and coordination exercises as part of their 80 min cardiac rehabilitation programme, while the control group performed the traditional cardiac rehabilitation programme, twice a week, for 12 weeks. Balance assessment was based on three tests: the Timed Up and Go, Functional Reach and Balance Error Scoring System, which were measured twice before the intervention, once following the intervention and once four weeks after the termination of the intervention. A two-way analysis of variance (group × time) with repeated measures was performed to examine differences between groups and between assessments. RESULTS: Seventy per cent of participants in the intervention group adhered to the programme, with significant improvement post-intervention in the Timed Up and Go (p < .01) and the Balance Error Scoring System (p < .05) with no changes among the control group. DISCUSSION: Stability and coordination training alongside a traditional cardiac rehabilitation programme may improve static and dynamic balance, and muscle strength, skills that are considered major components in postural control. Clinicians who work in cardiac rehabilitation centres should consider including this training alongside the routine cardiac rehabilitation programme.

Physical Activity-does it Really Increase Bone Density in Postmenopausal Women? A Review of Articles Published Between 2001-2016.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is known for its many health benefits; among them being the positive effect on bone health during the life cycle. During childhood, physical stress stimulates bone remodeling and increases density. However, due to hormonal changes during adulthood, and mainly during postmenopause the rate of bone remodeling is slowed down and is less efficient. As a result, argument has arisen in the literature regarding the benefit or harm of physical activity on bone health among postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to examine the efficacy of physical activity for improving Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in postmenopausal women based on a review of the literature. METHODS: The articles included in the review were chosen from three databases (PubMed, SPORT Discus with full text and Science Direct). Only publications with intervention studies which provided BMD measures clearly affected by physical activity in postmenopausal women were included. Twelve articles met the criteria for inclusion. RESULTS: In general, physical activity had a positive effect on BMD. Exercise prevented bone loss and in some cases, it contributed to the increase in BMD. CONCLUSION: Physical activity may improve BMD in postmenopausal women. However, the exact type of activity, its intensity, its duration and its frequency, are still unclear. Further studies are needed to determine the precise training protocol for postmenopausal women.