Melbourne researchers report in a study that regular physical and mental activities can delay the onset of the dreaded genetic Huntington's disease. This disease is hereditary and it goes on to destroy the brain and nerve cells leading to loss of all or most faculties. It affects one in 10 000 people between ages 30 and 50 and there is no cure. Since it is passed on to the children, at least 50% of the time the decision to have children also becomes an agonising one for many sufferers.
This study was conducted at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and published in the international journal Movement Disorders. It involved 154 patients with the disease from Australia and New Zealand.
According to lead researcher Professor Martin Delatycki, a sedentary non-stimulative environment hastened the onset of this disease by at least four years. "People with a genetic predisposition to the disease could significantly delay its onset by minimising passive activities and ensuring they incorporate physical and intellectual activity in their daily lives," he said.
Mental exercises like Sudoku, puzzles, crosswords and so on can help he said. "People at risk of Huntington's disease [should] avoid spending long periods of time in passive activities...All of us need down time and watching television is part of that. However, what we're saying is don't spend hours and hours a day in passive activities...
"Find activities in your life that have physical elements and intellectual elements. And we believe that this can delay the onset of the condition," Professor Delatycki said. He emphasised that this lifestyle change be started from childhood.
The Victorian Huntington's group feels that now some concrete advice can be given to many potential sufferers that there is a way to delay the onset of the disease.
