Soleus muscles are deep postural muscles located in the lower legs and are responsible for pumping fluid from the lower body back up to the heart. The fatigue resistant contractile ability of these muscles is maintained through sustained use during activities such as squatting or toe standing. While children and young people commonly perform these types of activities, older individuals seldom undertake these types of activities. The result is that, as we age, our soleus muscles lose their ability to perform their critical pumping function.

When the soleus muscles no longer function properly, fluid pools into our legs when we are sitting or standing, rather than being returned to the heart. As a result, cardiac output decreases, and the blood pressure in our vascular system declines. The drop in blood pressure when sitting or standing (postural hypotension) is very common among older adults and leads to reduced blood flow to the brain. Reduced brain blood commonly results in memory loss, muscle coordination difficulties, deficits in executive function (ability to plan, make decisions, concentrate on a task, follow directions)- a set of symptoms commonly referred to as “age related cognitive decline.” Cognitive impairment progresses over time and can result in dementia if the individual has a sufficiently long life. With the aging of the American population, dementia is approaching epidemic status.

Our vision is that dementia among the elderly population will become significantly less common in the immediate future. Almost seven million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and it is expected, by many in the medical community, that this number will increase to over 15 million people by the year 2050. We believe that slowing, or reversing, age related cognitive decline will lead to the elimination of dementia as a widespread health concern in the U.S. and subsequently, in the world.