Exercise Reduces Risk of Dementia, LongTerm Study Shows

Exercise is the single most influential factor in reducing the risk of developing dementia, according to a study spanning 35 years.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, was led by Prof. Peter Elwood of Cardiff University's School of Medicine. The Cardiff University UK study, which began in 1979, followed a group of 2,235 men aged 25 to 49. What began as a study on the causes of heart disease moved toward a study of behavior in relation to dementia and strokes.

Five factors were found to have an impact on staving off dementia. Those were:

• taking regular exercise,
• not smoking,
• keeping a low body weight,
• eating a healthy diet
• having a low alcohol intake.

The individuals who consistently followed four or five of these behaviors found a 60% decline in dementia and cognitive decline as well as 70% fewer instances of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, compared with those who followed none. Exercise was cited as the strongest mitigating factor.

Another contribution of the study was the discovery that aspirin helped prevent heart attacks.

Separately, The Cochrane Collaboration report released Dec. 4 revealed results of a study reviewing the results of eight exercise trials involving more than 300 patients living at home or in care.

Exercise did little for patients' moods, the research concluded, but it did help them carry out daily activities such as rising from a chair, and boosted their cognitive skills.

According to it’s authors, “There is promising evidence that exercise programmes can have a significant impact in improving ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and possibly in improving cognition in people with dementia.”

Caring for those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease takes a special skill set. If you are already caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, Caregiverlist has partnered with the leading producer of training videos for the caregiving industry, Terra Nova Films, to assist our caregiving community with understanding how to care for the physical, emotional and psychosocial needs of older adults.