45% Lower Dementia Risk With This Trick

Summary: A US study has shown that dementia risks can be reduced by 45% with regular physical activity in middle age and later stages of human life.
According to a US study, the findings of which were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), exhibited strategies to be followed in middle age and the advanced stages of life, to prevent the onset of dementia.

Dementia

Dementia is an age-related medical condition where a patient shows symptoms of memory loss, loss of thought process, and impaired speech, in advanced age. This makes it difficult to carry out day-to-day activities like grooming, eating, speaking, etc. Constant supervision and special care are required for such patients.

The study

The Framingham Heart Study, which was initiated in 1948, had appointed men and women from the town of Framingham in the US state of Massachusetts, for a study, for a period of 37 years. The participants comprised 1526 young adults, 1943 mid-life adults, and 855 older adults. At the end of the term, 567 cases of dementia were detected.
The researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine studied the above data. The data revealed that middle-aged participants with the highest level of physical activity had a 41% lower risk of dementia, and advanced-aged participants had 45% lower risk of dementia, as compared to those in the same age groups with the lowest physical activity. Participants with moderate physical activity showed a 35-38% lower risk of dementia.

Participants Without Gene Apoe E-4

The research saw how the APOE e-4 gene variant impacted the link between physical activity and dementia. The middle-aged participants (without the gene) with the highest physical activity had a 50-60% lower risk of dementia, as compared to seniors with the highest physical activity who had a 46% lower risk of dementia.

Participants with Gene Apoe E-4

The research showed that participants who did not have the APOE e-4 gene derivative, and who had the highest level of physical activity, had a 66% lower risk of dementia.

Physical Activity

The study said that physical activity slows down the production of amyloid clumps (buildup of amyloid proteins that cause cell death) in the brain, an occurrence associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. It also improves the structure of the brain and its functions by fostering the growth of neurons in the hippocampus, which is associated with memory.

Conclusion

Study and research show that physical activity in middle and advanced ages does impact the onset of dementia. Therefore, all individuals, in their middle age and advanced ages, should follow some physical activity or another, for a healthy body and mind.

Inputs from various media sources.