Physical activity against dementia

Physical activity against dementia

New Research Suggests Physical Activity Later in Life May Help Preserve Thinking

Despite physical signs of brain damage that would otherwise suggest someone had had dementia, people who were more active reported fewer cognitive problems during their lifetime.

Exercise can help reduce risk of and even improve symptoms of a host of chronic problems. Those conditions include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and depression, among others. New research published lately, found more movement may help protect against dementia, too.

The study suggests that higher levels of physical activity in older adults may provide cognitive reserve, or the ability to maintain cognitive function even when degenerative changes in the brain would otherwise lead to injury or dementia.

These results are encouraging, particularly for people who may have Alzheimer, says Aron Buchman, MD professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and co-author of the study. “Even though there is no treatment for Alzheimer’s disease pathology [what’s actually causing the problem], this study suggests that maintaining a more active lifestyle can counter some of the deleterious effects.”