A study by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego found that senior women who engaged in more daily walking and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Among women aged 65 or older, each additional 31 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of cognitive decline, while each additional 1,865 daily steps resulted in a 33% lower risk.
The study, which used data from 1,277 women in two Women’s Health Initiative ancillary studies, highlights the importance of physical activity in reducing dementia risk.
The researchers recommend older adults increase their daily steps and moderate-intensity activities to lower their risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Further research is needed to include men and larger diverse populations.
The research also found that higher amounts of sitting and prolonged sitting were not associated with a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The study used research-grade accelerometers worn by the participants for up to seven days to measure physical activity and sitting accurately.
On average, the women took 3,216 steps, engaged in 276 minutes of light physical activities, 45.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and 10.5 hours of sitting per day.
Physical activity has been identified as one of the top three ways to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, making prevention essential since there is no cure, explained senior author Andrea LaCroix, Ph.D., M.P.H. Encouraging older adults to increase their movement of at least moderate intensity and take more steps each day can contribute to a lower risk of cognitive decline said author Steven Nguyen, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Although the study focused on senior women, further research is required to include men and larger diverse populations to understand the broader impact of physical activity on cognitive health.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and other institutions.
Reference: University of California – San Diego | Science Daily
What is Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a condition in which a person experiences a decline in cognitive abilities that is more significant than what would be expected for their age, yet not severe enough to interfere substantially with daily activities.
In MCI, cognitive functions like memory, attention, language, and problem-solving may be affected, but the person is still able to carry out everyday tasks independently. It is important to note that not everyone with MCI will progress to dementia, and some may even experience improvement in their cognitive abilities over time.
What is Dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a group of symptoms affecting cognitive functions, such as memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and perception. These symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily activities and reduce a person’s ability to function independently, differently from MCI.
Dementia is typically caused by various diseases or injuries that affect the brain, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause.
