According to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, increasing physical activity in midlife or later can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 45%.
Researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health analyzed data from more than 4,300 people in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring, all of whom were dementia-free at the start of the study.
According to the study report, individuals completed questionnaires reporting their amount of sleep and physical activity (occasional, light, moderate or vigorous).
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The researchers analyzed the physical activity of individuals at three stages of life – early adulthood (ages 26-44 years), midlife (45-64 years) and late life (65-88 years).
According to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, increasing physical activity in midlife or later can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 45%.
They followed the participants for an average of 37.2, 25.9 and 14.5 years, respectively, to monitor the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
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Those in the top two quintiles of midlife physical activity were associated with a 40% lower all-cause dementia risk over a 26-year period, compared with those with the lowest activity levels.
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People in the top two quintiles of late-life physical activity were associated with a 36% to 45% lower dementia risk over 15 years.
Having the highest midlife physical activity was associated with a 40% lower all-cause dementia risk over this 26-year period, compared with those with the lowest activity levels.
“These results may help inform more precise and effective strategies to prevent or delay the onset of dementia in later life, and may support evidence that the benefits of physical activity on the brain may extend to earlier life than previously thought,” study author Philip Huang, Ph.D.
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Higher activity in midlife was associated with lower dementia risk only in people without APOE4, a genetic variant linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
However, this was not the case in the late-life high activity group, which showed a lower dementia risk between APOE4 carriers and those without the gene, according to the study.
“There are several potential mechanisms through which physical activity is thought to reduce the risk of dementia, such as improving brain structure and function, reducing inflammation and exerting benefits on vascular function,” Huang told Fox News Digital.
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Physical activity may also have a direct effect on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, such as the buildup of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain, according to researchers.
Physical activity may also have a direct effect on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, such as the build-up of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain.
“These potential mechanisms may contribute to facilitating cognitive reserve, which may delay late-life cognitive impairment.”
More research is needed to understand whether these potential causes all occur at the same time throughout a person’s life or whether different causes emerge at different stages, the researchers said.
Dr. Kathryn Devens, MD, who specializes in geriatric medicine at Phelps Hospital Northwell Health in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was not part of the study but commented on the findings.
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Exercise can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, vascular disease, cholesterol levels and diabetes — “all things that put you at risk for circulatory problems in the brain,” she told Fox News Digital.
The doctor also noted that exercise helps reduce inflammation, which can protect brain health.
One limitation of the study was that physical activity was based on self-reporting, Huang told Fox News Digital.
Physical activity may also have a direct effect on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, such as the build-up of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain.
“While we can say from these results that higher levels of overall physical activity are associated with lower dementia risk, these results may not translate well into recommendations about specific exercise types,” he said.
Also, physical activity levels in early adulthood were not associated with all-cause dementia or Alzheimer’s dementia.
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“Due to the small number of dementia cases in this age group, we were underpowered to detect an association with physical activity in early adult life,” the authors noted.
Devens agreed that while the study may have limitations, it does support the idea of exercise reducing the risk of dementia.
Original article source: A daily lifestyle change can dramatically reduce Alzheimer’s risk, researchers say
