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New research suggests that even a simple exercise program might help older people with light, or mild, memory problems.
新的研究表明，即使是一个简单的锻炼计划也可能会对患有轻微记忆性障碍的老年人有所帮助。
Doctors have long advised patients to do physical activity to help keep their brains healthy.
长期以来，医生一直建议患者进行体育锻炼，以帮助保持大脑健康。
But the U.S. government-supported research marks the longest study of whether exercise makes any difference once memory starts to decline.
但这项由美国政府支持的研究是持续时间最长的研究，目的是研究一旦记忆力开始衰退，锻炼是否会产生任何影响。
Researchers found around 300 inactive older adults with memory changes called mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
研究人员发现，大约300名不活动的老年人的记忆力发生了变化，即患有轻度认知障碍。
MCI is a condition that sometimes comes before Alzheimer’s disease.
轻度认知障碍是一种有时会出现在阿尔茨海默病之前的疾病。
Half of the older adults did aerobic exercises, and the rest did stretching and balance movements that raised their heart rates a little.
一半的老年人做有氧运动，其余的老年人做会略微提高心率的伸展和平衡运动。
People in both groups got attention from trainers who worked with them at youth organization centers called YMCAs around the United States.
这两组人都得到了教练的关注，教练在美国各地名为基督教青年会的青年组织中心与他们一起锻炼。
When COVID-19 shut down gyms, the trainers helped the study participants keep moving at home by video calls.
新冠疫情致使健身房关闭后，教练通过视频通话的方式帮助研究参与者在家保持活动。
After a year, testing of mental activity showed neither group had worsened, said lead researcher Laura Baker of Wake Forest School of Medicine in the state of North Carolina.
北卡罗来纳州维克森林医学院的首席研究员劳拉·贝克说，一年后，对两组人的大脑活动进行的测试显示，两组人的大脑功能都没有恶化。
Brain scans did not show the shrinkage that often goes with worsening memory problems, she said.
她说，脑部扫描没有显示出通常伴随着记忆力问题恶化而出现的脑补萎缩。
By comparison, similar MCI patients in another long-term study of brain health — but without exercise — experienced cognitive, or mental, decline over a year.
相比之下，在另一项关于大脑健康的长期研究中，类似的轻度认知障碍患者——但没有锻炼——在一年多的时间里经历了认知或智力衰退。
The early findings are surprising.
早期的研究结果令人惊讶。
But the National Institute on Aging cautioned that tracking non-exercisers in the same study would have offered better evidence.
但美国国家衰老研究所警告称，在同一项研究中跟踪不锻炼的人会提供更好的证据。
The results suggest “this is doable for everybody” — not just seniors healthy enough to work up a hard sweat, said Baker.
贝克说，研究结果表明，“这对每个人都是可行的”——不只是那些身体足够健康、可以锻炼出大量汗的老年人。
She presented the data recently at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
她最近在阿尔茨海默症协会国际会议上公布了这些数据。
"Exercise needs to be part of the prevention strategies" for at-risk seniors, she added.
她还说，对于高危老年人来说，“锻炼需要成为预防策略的一部分”。
Maria Carrillo is the Alzheimer’s Association chief scientific officer.
玛丽亚·卡里洛是阿尔茨海默症协会的首席科学官。
She said earlier research has found regular physical activity of any kind may reduce damaging inflammation and increase blood flow to the brain.
她说，早期研究发现，任何形式的定期体育活动都可以减少破坏性炎症，增强大脑的血液流动。
She added that the new study is especially interesting because the COVID-19 pandemic began halfway through the study.
她还说，这项新研究特别有趣，因为新冠疫情在这项研究进行到一半时爆发了。
That meant the study participants became socially isolated, or separated from others.
这意味着研究参与者与社会隔绝，即与其他人分开。
Social isolation has long been known to increase people’s risk of memory problems, Carrillo said.
卡里洛说，长期以来，社会隔绝一直被认为会增加人们出现记忆力问题的风险。
It is a difficult time for dementia research.
这是痴呆症研究的艰难时期。
Doctors are not sure about prescribing a high-priced new drug called Aduhelm.
医生不确定是否要开一种名为Aduhelm（阿杜那单抗）的高价新药。
The drug is supposed to be the first to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s — but it is not yet clear if it really helps patients.
这种药物被认为是第一种减缓阿尔茨海默症发展的药物，但目前还不清楚它是否真的对患者有帮助。
Researchers last month reported another drug that works similarly failed in an important study.
研究人员上个月报告称，另一种类似的药物在一项重要的研究中失败了。
It, too, targets amyloid plaques in the brain.
它也针对大脑中的淀粉样斑块。
There is growing urgency to find whether exercise and other steps might offer at least some protection.
人们越来越迫切地想知道，锻炼等措施是否至少能提供一些保护。
How much and what kind of exercise?
做多少锻炼和做哪种锻炼？
In Baker’s study, seniors were supposed to get moving for 30 to 45 minutes four times a week.
在贝克的研究中，老年人每周应该运动4次，每次30到45分钟。
It did not matter whether it was exercise on the treadmill device or stretching exercises.
无论是在跑步机上锻炼还是做伸展运动都没有关系。
Baker believes the social connection with the trainers helped.
贝克认为，与教练的社交联系会有所帮助。
Each participant completed over 100 hours of exercise.
每个参与者都完成了超过100个小时的锻炼。
“We wouldn’t have done the exercise on our own,” said Doug Maxwell of Verona, Wisconsin, who joined the study with his wife.
威斯康星州维罗纳的道格·麦克斯韦尔和他的妻子一起参与了这项研究，他说：“我们自己没有锻炼过。”
The husband and wife, both 81, were assigned to the stretching classes.
这对夫妇都是81岁，他们被分配到拉伸班。
They felt so good afterward that when the study ended, they bought electric bikes in hopes of even more activity.
研究结束后，他们感觉非常好，于是他们购买了电动自行车，希望能有更多的活动。
Baker suspects that the volume of exercise might explain why even the simple stretching added up to a health benefit.
贝克觉得运动量可以解释即使是简单的伸展运动也会对健康有益的原因。
Participants were supposed to exercise without social support for an additional six months.
参与者应该在没有社会支持的情况下再锻炼6个月。
Baker has not studied that data yet.
贝克还没有研究过这些数据。
In addition to the recent study, Baker is leading an even larger study of older adults to see if adding exercise to other steps such as a healthy diet, brain games and social activities may reduce the risk of dementia.
除了最近的研究，贝克还领导了一项针对老年人的更大规模的研究，研究除了健康饮食、益智游戏和社交活动等措施之外增加锻炼是否会降低患痴呆症的风险。
I’m John Russell. And I’m Ashley Thompson.
约翰·拉塞尔、阿什利·汤普森为您共同播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
