Regular exercise can prove a panacea.

• Position: Disease Prevention

Several recent studies suggest that regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease--an important finding for a condition that currently has no cure and few promising drug treatments. "We already know that exercising in your 30s, 40s, and 50s reduces your risk of developing chronic diseases later in life, but now we're seeing evidence that people who are the most physically active, even later in life, show less brain shrinkage and other signs associated with dementia," says neurologist Mary Quiceno of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

In one study, brain scans showed that people in their 70s and older who were most physically active had less brain shrinkage and better cognitive function. Simply going for a walk several times a week was sufficient to promote positive cognitive benefits. Another study reported that people between 45 and 88 years of age who carried a gene known to make them more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease mitigated their risk by exercising for at least 30 minutes five times a week. "There are so many benefits to regular exercise, and one of them appears to be better brain health in our senior years," Quiceno stresses.

Diabetic risk, at least from the type 2 variety, also can be lowered with diligence and a healthy lifestyle. "Exercise, eat a healthy diet, and maintain a healthy body weight," instructs Ildiko Lingvay, a diabetes specialist at UTSW. "It sounds simple, but is very difficult for many people."

In the simplest terms, people with diabetes have elevated blood...