PREVENTING DEMENTIA WITH CLUES FROM AMAZONIAN TRIBES

An Amazonian tribe could hold the clues to the prevention of dementia.

The Indigenous Tsimané and Mosetén communities of the Bolivian Amazon in South America have some of the lowest rates of heart and brain disease ever reported.

In a study, a group of researchers from the University of Southern California found that the groups also have the lowest rates of dementia in the world.

The scientists looked at brain scans from hundreds of Tsimané and Mosetén people aged over 60 and recorded that only about 1 percent of them suffered from dementia. By comparison, 11 percent of those 65 and older in the US have the disease.

• Difficulty breathing and blurry vision among harmful reactions linked to fake Botox in nine US states

• Human brains are getting bigger and it could lower the risk for dementia

According to USC, there are roughly 17,000 Tsimané people who all remain physically very active throughout their lifespans through hunting, fishing and farming. The 3,000-strong Mosetén community also farm but they live closer to towns with schools, healthcare facilities and clean water.

Modern lifestyles are leading to quicker cognitive decline. The risk for dementia increases greatly for adults who are sitting for more than 10 hours a day, according to the National Institute of Aging.

Prof Margaret Gatz, lead author of the study, said: "Something about the pre-industrial subsistence lifestyle appears to protect older Tsimané and Mosetén from dementia."

The dementia pattern exhibited by the five Tsimané people who were found to have the disease was also distinct from that documented in Alzheimer’s disease, the scientists said adding that more research is needed.

“By working with populations like the Tsimané and Mosetén, we can get a better understanding of global human variation and what human health was like in different environments before industrialization,” said study co-author Benjamin Trumble.

“What we do know is the sedentary, urban, industrial life is quite novel when compared with how our ancestors lived for more than 99 percent of humanity’s existence.”

For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here.

2024-04-16T23:58:10Z dg43tfdfdgfd