Midlife Fitness to Minimize Risk of Dementia

Higher fitness levels in midlife, which is associated with increased mental sharpness and agility, could lead to a lower risk for dementia in later life.

Natural aging process is associated with some inevitable changes such as skin wrinkles, crow’s feet, and gradual loss of memory in some people. Memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, which incidentally is the second most feared disease after cancer. However, researchers say that people who keep healthy and fit at midlife have the lowest risk of developing dementia when they grow older.

"We already know exercise has cardiovascular and many other benefits, but this may give people more incentive to get moving," lead author, Laura F. DeFina, MD, from The Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas.

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There is a lot of literature on physical activity and dementia, a 2010 statement from the National Institutes of Health suggested that evidence was insufficient to promote lifestyle change for brain health because the studies conducted so far have been small, with short follow-up, and the definition of patients and of dementia has been inadequate.

The study included 19,458 individuals participating in the Cooper Clinic Longitudinal Study at the Cooper Institute, a preventive medicine clinic. All underwent standardized fitness testing in midlife (median age, 49.8 years) and were then followed for an average of 25 years. Cases of dementia were found from Medicare claims data.

There were 1659 cases of all-cause dementia reported. After multivariable adjustment, participants with the highest fitness level (quintile 5) at midlife had a 36% reduction in risk of developing dementia from any cause during follow-up than those in the lowest fitness category (quintile 1).

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Dr. DeFina added "Another strength of the study is that, it objectively measured cardio respiratory fitness in a uniform way (on a treadmill) in all participants. Normally studies looking at physical activity rely on self-reported exercise which is notoriously inaccurate."

Dr. DeFina also pointed out that the reduction in dementia was consistent in patients who had had a stroke and in those who hadn't, suggesting that the mechanism does not just involve vascular disease. "Exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease, which we would expect to be translated into benefit on stroke, but because there was a similar reduction in dementia with improved fitness in patients who hadn't had a stroke, this suggests that other mechanisms are also involved."

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She added that animal studies have suggested that increased fitness and activity correlates with a reduction in brain atrophy and loss of cognition, and changes in amyloid have been seen with regular activity.

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The researchers believe that although it is best to achieve fitness earlier in life and keep it up throughout life, benefits could still be seen in people starting later. Dr. DeFina noted: "It is never too late to improve fitness. If you're not 49, there are still functional benefits of being active in your later years."

For now, it seems that staying fit is your best chance to ward off dementia and keep it at bay. Take care of your body; after all it’s the only place you have to live!

Source-Medindia