Physical Activity Decreases Risk of Dementia
According to a study published in December 2013, physical activity reduces the risk of developing dementia in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. An estimated five to 20 percent of older individuals have mild cognitive impairment, and approximately 10-15 percent of these individuals progress to dementia each year.
The subjects included 176 individuals with mild cognitive impairment who were attending a memory clinic. The subjects completed a standardized lifestyle questionnaire. The researchers instructed the subjects to return to the clinic every 12 months for dementia surveillance. The investigators followed the subjects for approximately 2.5 years.
During the follow-up period, 52.2 percent of the subjects progressed from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The researchers showed that the subjects in the highest third of physical activity scores had a 56 percent decreased risk of developing dementia compared to the subjects with the lowest third of physical activity scores. The investigators did not find any correlation between cognitive or social scores and the risk of dementia.
The study authors stated. “To our knowledge, this is the first prospective clinical study which demonstrates that high levels of participation in physical leisure activities are associated with reduced risk of dementia in subjects with mild cognitive impairment. In line with findings coming from community-based studies on healthy elderly, our finding suggests that the protective role of exercise against the development of dementia can be generalized to mild cognitive impairment subjects seen in clinical practice. Clinicians should encourage mild cognitive impairment subjects to participate in physical leisure activities.”
Reference:
Grande G, et al. J Alzheimer's Dis. 2013 Dec 2.
