This May Be The Most Important Age To Increase Exercise For Dementia Prevention

Woman in gymIt’s very hard to prove a causal relationship between lifestyle factors like diet and dementia – but Alzheimer’s Society says that when it comes to not exercising, “evidence is strong enough to show that it increases a person’s risk of developing dementia.” Those who take regular physical activity are as much as 20% less likely to develop the condition, they say, adding that “the effect of exercise in middle-aged or older adults” on dementia risk is especially well-documented.And now, a new study has pinpointed what may be the “most important” age to ramp up your physical activity.At what age should I increase my exercise?A paper published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that an increase in physical activity between the ages of 45 and 65 may be especially useful when preventing dementia. “We conducted a four-year follow-up of middle-aged residents of Catalonia with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease,” Müge Akıncı, the first author of the paper, shares. “We used physical activity questionnaires to assess changes in activity over a four-year period and neuroimaging tests to analyse the effects of exercise on brain structure and function,” the researcher added. The scientists classified their 337 participants from the ALFA+ longitudinal cohort into three groups; adherent (meaning they met WHO physical activity guidelines), non-adherent (active, but not quite meeting those guidelines) and sedentary (no physical activity). People who upped their physical activity to meet WHO guidelines (150-300 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity) from a “non-adherent” or “sedentary” status had less beta-amyloid accumulation than those who were sedentary or didn’t change their exercise level.Their brains were also thicker in the parts of our mind responsible for memory (medial temporal area). Beta-amyloid plaque accumulation and a thinner medial temporal area are both associated with the onset of dementia.You don’t even have to meet every guideline to see benefits “Even those who did less physical activity than recommended had greater cortical thickness than sedentary people, suggesting that any amount of exercise, no matter how minimal, has health benefits,” Müge Akıncı says.“These findings reinforce the importance of promoting physical activity in middle age as a public health strategy for Alzheimer’s prevention,” Eider Arenaza-Urquijo, a lead investigator of the study, adds.That is not, of course, a sign to neglect exercise until then. Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss that has been linked to dementia, begins as early as 30. But this research adds to the ever-growing pile of research suggesting the importance of lifestyle changes in midlife in preventing dementia. Related...'I Didn't Enter A Gym 'Til 63. At Almost 70, I'm In The Best Shape Of My Life'This Part Of Your Eye May Reveal Early Dementia RiskThis Sleep Change May Reveal Increased Dementia Risk For Women

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