People at risk of dementia can reduce their risk by improving their fitness, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet. The study shows that the risk can be reduced by up to 35%.
In the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers used data from 61,214 dementia-free people, drawn from the UK Biobank database. The participants, who were aged between 39 and 70, were followed over a period of 12 years.
On enrollment, participants completed a six-minute cycle test to measure fitness, and neurological tests were done to estimate their cognitive function. The researchers also examined genetic predisposition to dementia.
During the 12-year follow-up period, a total of 553 people were diagnosed with dementia, representing 0.9%.
The results show that better fitness is linked to reduced dementia risk and improved cognitive function. According to Weili Xu, Professor of Geriatric Epidemiology in the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, good fitness can reduce the risk of all forms of dementia by up to 35%.
– Our findings suggest that maintaining good fitness may be a strategy for preventing dementia, even among people with high genetic susceptibility, she says in a press release.
The researchers also emphasize that this is an observational study, so it is not possible to determine cause and effect. The number of dementia cases may also have been underestimated, they add, as UK Biobank participants are generally healthier than the general population.
