Two-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise a week could help stave off the effects of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health examined a group of people whose parents had the disease, increasing their own risk of developing it.
The study, presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, found that those who did 30 minutes of low-level exercise five days a week had significantly weaker biomarkers for Alzheimer's when they got older. The team looked at 317 participants enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention, an ongoing observational study of more than 1,500 people with a history of parents with probable Alzheimer's dementia.
Participants were cognitively healthy and aged between 40 and 65 at enrolment. They underwent initial assessments of biological, health and lifestyle factors, with follow-ups every two to four years. Researchers measured their activity levels, neuropsychological testing, and brain scans to assess biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's.
When comparing data from those under 60 with older adults, they found a decrease in cognitive abilities and an increase in biomarkers in the older subjects. However, these effects were significantly weaker in older adults who reported doing the equivalent of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. An indicator of Alzheimer's, known as white matter hyperintensities, increased with age but less so in those with high aerobic fitness.
Dr Ozioma Okonkwo, assistant professor of medicine, said: 'Our research shows that, in a late-middle-age population at risk for Alzheimer's disease, physically active individuals experience fewer age-related alterations in biomarkers associated with the disease, as well as memory and cognitive functioning.' He added: 'The most interesting part is that we now show evidence that lifestyle habits, in this case regular, moderate exercise, can modify the effect of what is commonly considered a non-modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's, in this case ageing.'
