Exercise Regularly To Slow Down Alzheimer’s

Now exercise can help slow down the risk of Alzheimer’s, US researchers have suggested. The new research has found that people affected with Alzheimer’s who are less fit have four times more signs of brain shrinkage than those who exercise regularly and stay fit.

The research work, which has been published in the journal ‘Neurology’, took into account 121 people aged over 60 with around half of them in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to establishing a link between exercise and Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust said that another research has shown that exercise can also help reduce the risk of dementia. Dementia is another disease affecting the brain where there is loss of memory.

Dr. Jeffrey Burns, from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said that he was one of the first persons to look at whether exercise could actually affect the advancement of dementia. His research work focuses on the relationship between dementia and exercise, where it is being studied whether being active can actually reduce the risk of the condition developing in the first place.

For the study, volunteers had to undergo a treadmill test to see how fit they are. After this, their brains were scanned for shrinkage. Measuring brain shrinkage is an effective method of testing the severity of Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Burns said, “Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance.” He further added that exercising regularly can significantly reduce the amount of brain volume lost.

Susanne Sorensen, head of research at Alzheimer’s Society explained that exercise helps increase the flow of blood to the brain, thereby delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells. This is the exact reason why dementia progresses at a much slower pace in people who are physically fit.