Maintain a higher level of cardiovascular fitness to cut your risk of dementia
We all know someone who has been afflicted with the severe loss of memory and function called dementia.
The hardships that vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease bring upon sufferers and their caregivers is
emotionally devastating and financially depleting. But there is hope …..
Recent prospective study information provided in the current
issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine, reveals that people who maintained a higher level of
cardiovascular fitness during their 40’s and 50’s were significantly less likely to develop
dementia when they reached their 80’s and 90’s.
Specifically, a review of the cases of almost 20,000 participants documented a 36% lower risk of dementia
after age 65 for the individuals who maintained a high level of cardiovascular fitness during middle age.
Educational attainment did not seem to show any relevance to dementia risk in this particular study.
But whereas a firm causal relationship was not proven by this study, it is reasonable to conclude that a greater
attention to fitness could decrease the risk factors associated with later development of dementia such as Type
2 ( acquired onset ) diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure.
It has also been discovered that higher levels of cardiovascular fitness have also been associated with increased
brain volume, increased neural plasticity and regenerative ability, and also a decreased accumulation of neuron-
damaging beta-amyloid protein.
All study participants underwent treadmill testing at age 50. Their fitness level was calculated from time on the
treadmill along with the final speed and grade.
For more information about this study , the journal article can be accessed at the following link :
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1567851
