Physical Activity in Old Age Reduces Risk of Dementia
Physical Activity in Old Age Reduces Risk of Dementia
Exercise is a cheap way to improve health, creating a protective effect on the brain. This activity also helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Exercising regularly, or even doing housework on a regular basis, can help improve the ability to think and remember in the elderly who have developed early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Research shows that exercise is a cheap way to improve health, creating a protective effect on the brain.
"We measured the level of physical activity in study participants on average two years before their deaths, and then examined donated brain tissue after death, and found that a more active lifestyle might have a protective effect on the brain," said Aron S Buchman, from Rush University in the United States as reported by the New Indian Express.
"People who move more have better thinking and memory skills than those who sit more and don't move much," said Buchman, lead author of the study published in the journal Neurology.
The researchers found the movement can provide cognitive reserves to help maintain thinking and memory skills when there are signs of pathology of Alzheimer's disease in the brain. This study assessed 454 older adults; 191 suffered from dementia and 263 did not suffer from dementia. All participants are given physical exams, thinking and memory tests every year for 20 years.
The participants agreed to donate their brains for research when they died and the average age at death was 91 years. On average, two years before death, the researchers gave each participant an activity monitor called an accelerometer. This wrist-worn device monitors physical activity at all times, including from small movements such as walking around the house to stronger activities such as exercise routines.
For seven days, the researchers collected and evaluated the movements of each participant and calculated the average daily activity score. The results are measured on a daily basis, with an overall average of 160,000 counts per day. People without dementia have an average of 180,000 counts per day, and people with dementia average 130,000 counts per day.
The researchers found that higher daily movement levels were associated with better thinking and memory skills. The study also found that people who have better motor skills also have better thinking and memory skills. For each increase in physical activity with one standard deviation, participants were 31% less likely to experience dementia.
For each increase in motor skills by one standard deviation, participants were 55% less likely to experience dementia. Buchman said the study showed that physical activity and motor skills accounted for 8% of the difference in values of people in thinking and memory tests. After the death of the participants, the researchers examined the donated brain tissue, looked for lesions and biomarkers of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
The relationship between activity and test scores was consistent even when the researchers adjusted the severity of participants' brain lesions. They also found that the relationship was consistent in people suffering from dementia and people who did not suffer from dementia. The relationship between higher levels of physical activity and better thinking and memory abilities is not related to the existence of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
Exercise is a cheap way to improve health, creating a protective effect on the brain. This activity also helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Exercising regularly, or even doing housework on a regular basis, can help improve the ability to think and remember in the elderly who have developed early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Research shows that exercise is a cheap way to improve health, creating a protective effect on the brain.
"We measured the level of physical activity in study participants on average two years before their deaths, and then examined donated brain tissue after death, and found that a more active lifestyle might have a protective effect on the brain," said Aron S Buchman, from Rush University in the United States as reported by the New Indian Express.
"People who move more have better thinking and memory skills than those who sit more and don't move much," said Buchman, lead author of the study published in the journal Neurology.
The researchers found the movement can provide cognitive reserves to help maintain thinking and memory skills when there are signs of pathology of Alzheimer's disease in the brain. This study assessed 454 older adults; 191 suffered from dementia and 263 did not suffer from dementia. All participants are given physical exams, thinking and memory tests every year for 20 years.
The participants agreed to donate their brains for research when they died and the average age at death was 91 years. On average, two years before death, the researchers gave each participant an activity monitor called an accelerometer. This wrist-worn device monitors physical activity at all times, including from small movements such as walking around the house to stronger activities such as exercise routines.
For seven days, the researchers collected and evaluated the movements of each participant and calculated the average daily activity score. The results are measured on a daily basis, with an overall average of 160,000 counts per day. People without dementia have an average of 180,000 counts per day, and people with dementia average 130,000 counts per day.
The researchers found that higher daily movement levels were associated with better thinking and memory skills. The study also found that people who have better motor skills also have better thinking and memory skills. For each increase in physical activity with one standard deviation, participants were 31% less likely to experience dementia.
For each increase in motor skills by one standard deviation, participants were 55% less likely to experience dementia. Buchman said the study showed that physical activity and motor skills accounted for 8% of the difference in values of people in thinking and memory tests. After the death of the participants, the researchers examined the donated brain tissue, looked for lesions and biomarkers of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
The relationship between activity and test scores was consistent even when the researchers adjusted the severity of participants' brain lesions. They also found that the relationship was consistent in people suffering from dementia and people who did not suffer from dementia. The relationship between higher levels of physical activity and better thinking and memory abilities is not related to the existence of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
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