Exercise linked to lower dementia risk for over 65s
Publication Date:27/12/2007
Introduction
Older people who do everyday exercise, like walking to the shops, are less likely to get a common type of dementia, according to a new study.
What do we know already?
Vascular dementia is a brain disorder that causes similar symptoms to Alzheimer's. It's more common in older people, and happens when the blood supply to someone's brain is damaged. This can happen slowly, over time, or quickly. One of the main causes of this type of dementia is stroke, or a series of small strokes (known as mini-strokes).
Vascular dementia causes problems with memory and thinking. It can mean someone forgets what they did yesterday, or even the names of family and friends. Severe dementia makes it difficult for someone to do everyday activities, like getting dressed.
Medical treatments can reduce the risk of vascular dementia by helping to prevent a stroke. Treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes can all help reduce your risk of a stroke.
Researchers have also looked at whether changes to your lifestyle could play a part in preventing vascular dementia. A new study has looked at Italian people over the age of 65, to see if physical activity helped to reduce their risk of dementia.
What does the new study say?
The researchers looked at the amount of activity people did from day to day, such as walking, housework or gardening. Almost no-one in the study did organised exercise, such as jogging, golf or ballroom dancing. Researchers then followed up the people for four years, to find out what happened to them.
Among the third of people who spent most time walking each week, no-one got vascular dementia. In the middle third, 2 in 100 people got the disease. In the third of people who spent the least time walking, 18 in 100 people got vascular dementia.
This sounds like a big difference, but lots of other things affect a person's risk of dementia, such as their genes. After taking these into account, the researchers said that physical activity reduced people's risk of vascular dementia by about a quarter.
The researchers also looked at whether physical activity affected people's risk of Alzheimer's disease. There didn't appear to be a link, but the study didn't look at enough people to totally rule one out.
Where does the study come from?
The study was done by researchers from University Hospital S. Orsola-Malpighi, in Bologna, Italy. It appeared in a journal called Neurology, published by the American Academy of Neurology.
How reliable are the findings?
One explanation for the results could be that exercise protects against dementia by improving blood flow to the brain. But it's impossible to know for certain. It may just be that people in the early stages of dementia can't get out and do everyday activities, so end up getting less exercise.
It's also possible that getting more exercise is a sign that someone is healthier overall. These people may also eat a healthy diet, be fitter, and be better able to get out and visit their doctor. All these things could play a part in keeping someone healthy, so it's hard to know if physical activity really makes a difference to someone's risk of dementia.
What does this mean for me?
Although the study doesn't prove that exercise prevents dementia, we know that keeping active is good for your health in general. Whatever your age, building some activity into your routine is likely to have health benefits.
What should I do now?
Doing more physical activity needn't mean a big change to your life. A short, brisk walk most days is a good start. Government advice says we should aim for 30 minutes' moderate activity, five days a week.
One of the most important ways of preventing vascular dementia is to reduce your risk of a stroke. If you have medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease, make sure you remember to take your treatment. These conditions can all put you at risk of a stroke.
Smoking also increases your chance of having a stroke. If you want to give up, your doctor or pharmacist can suggest ways of making it easier, such as nicotine patches or gum.
From:
Ravaglia G, Forti P, Lucicesare A, et al. Physical activity and dementia risk in the elderly: findings from a prospective Italian study. Neurology. Published online at http://www.neurology.org (accessed on 17 December 2007).
To read more, see our information on dementia.
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© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
