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Keep moving to prevent dementia

Regular, preventative exercise can help reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

A recently published review carried out by the University of Tasmania’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre examined a range of research showing exercise to be a key preventative intervention for positively influencing cognition, including reducing the risk of age-related decline and dementia.

“An estimated 50 million people across the globe live with dementia and these figures are expected to rise to around 152 million in the next thirty years,” Research lead Dr Jane Alty from the Wicking Centre said.

“Around a third of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, hypertension and obesity.

“Large meta-analyses of longitudinal studies have consistently reported a reduced risk for developing dementia in those who regularly exercise.”

The review identified both aerobic and resistance training to be associated with reduced risk of dementia, with more evidence supporting the link to aerobic training.

There was also some evidence of reduced rates of cognitive decline in those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as in those with higher genetic risks of dementia.

“A study of almost 200 000 UK participants found that a healthy lifestyle was associated with reduced dementia incidence in all groups, including a 32% reduction in those with the highest genetic risk,” Dr Alty said.

The review also emphasised that while ageing is the biggest dementia risk factor, dementia was not an inevitable part of ageing and that older adults who are physically active, do not smoke, drink alcohol only in moderation and eat a healthy diet, have a lower risk of dementia.

The WHO’s global recommendations on physical activity for adults is at least 150 min of moderate aerobic activity per week or at least 75 min of more vigorous activity.

Dr Alty said the main aim of this latest review was to provide support for neurologists to inform patients about the modifiable risks of dementia and to encourage people to take a proactive, lifelong approach to dementia risk reduction.

“Exercise and other physical activity are important for brain health so increasing physical activity is a promising, non-pharmacological intervention to delay the cognitive manifestations of ageing and to reduce the risk of dementia,” Dr Alty said.

“Exercise also has the additional health benefits of improved balance, reduced falls, improved cardiovascular health and reduced mortality.”

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre is part of the University’s College of Health and Medicine.

Published on: 18 Feb 2020 1:06pm