Cut your chances of getting Alzheimer’s Disease by getting out for some exercise. A fresh study, from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that any kind of exercise can improve brain volume and cut the risk of this particular disease by half.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease could more than double in the next three decades. With no cure currently available, the focus of health professionals is on prevention through lifestyle management.
The website Medical News Today reports that the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, and the University of Pittsburgh have been looking into the effects of aerobic exercise on the brain.
They looked at 876 patients enrolled in the 30-year Cardiovascular Health Study, across four research sites in the US. The average age of participants was 78 years.
Results showed that the more physical activity an individual did, the larger the brain volumes in key parts of the brain, and specifically the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, including the hippocampus. Moreover, individuals whose brains benefitted from additional physical activity had a 50% lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.
More on this story on the Medical News Today Website