Study: Exercise Reduces Signs Of Dementia
Physical exercise may add brain-shrinking benefits to people with early Alzheimer’s disease, according to results of a preliminary study.
Researchers studied 121 people over the age of 60, half of them were already in the early stages of the disease.
Those with Alzheimer’s who were less fit had four times more signs of brain shrinkage than those who were fit, researchers wrote in the journal Neurology.
Participants were asked to use a treadmill in order to gauge their level of fitness. After the fitness test, the volunteers’ brains were scanned for shrinkage, which is a method used to show the progress of Alzheimer’s.
Other studies have sought to find whether or not exercise can reduce the risk of the condition developing in the first place.
Dr Jeffrey Burns, from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said his test was one of the first to look at whether exercise could affect the progress of the illness.
Dr Burns said the four-fold difference in those who did was evidence that exercise might help.
"People with early Alzheimer’s disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost,” he said.
"Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance."
Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, acknowledged that dementia may develop slower in people who are physically fit because exercise increases blood flow to the brain.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "This adds to previous research showing that exercise helps reduce the risk of dementia and slows down its onset.
"A balanced diet and regular exercise can improve the quality of life of older people with dementia, as well as those who do not have the condition."
Dr. Burns stressed that his research was only a starting point for exploring whether exercise and physical fitness can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
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