text_1: People With Mild Cognitive Impairment Should Exercise Twice a Week, Research Says
text_2: This brief article in U.S. News & World Report discusses recently published professional guidelines for treating a condition of aging known as “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI) with regular moderate exercise. As the article itself notes, scientists and physicians “gush” endlessly about the benefits of exercise for seemingly everything, and now for MCI. However, the story didn’t make it clear that this recommendation is based upon just two studies, both short-term. Nor did it give us a sense of the scope of the benefits. Does exercise help a little? A lot? The rapidly growing numbers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are clearly causes for genuine concern and even alarm in the United States. Beyond the human costs are the financial burdens on families and the overall health care system. And the persistent failure of hoped-for benefits from clinical trials of  drugs has added to the drumbeat of worry. As a consequence, those with symptoms of MCI (which may or may not be linked to the onset of actual AD or dementia), may turn to “alternative” interventions such as diets and dietary supplements, “brain training” with crossword puzzles, and exercise. Because exercise has been demonstrated to have specific and non-specific physical and psychological benefits for many people, it’s no surprise at all that guidelines from a respected journal suggesting that moderate regular exercise can improve memory would be of interest. But when the ability to summarize the precise impact of exercise is muted at best; and when the potential exists for “victim blaming” among those who fail to exercise, journalists should take great care in promoting such guidelines.