Studies follow one another to reveal the benefits of exercise on the brain or against age-related cognitive decline. This is also done with this German study presented in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia of the Alzheimer's Association: in people carrying a genetic mutation at the origin of Alzheimer's disease, a physical activity of at least 2.5 hours per week may have beneficial effects on disease markers and delay cognitive decline. But it could also be true for people with more common forms of Alzheimer's disease.
There is indeed a growing body of scientific evidence of the beneficial impact of lifestyle factors on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Thus the preliminary results of the Sprint Mind trial reveal that intensive treatment of blood pressure reduces the development of mild cognitive impairment and the risk of cognitive impairment linked to dementia. If here, the demonstration is again made for an autosomal dominant and early genetic form of the disease, representative of less than 1% of Alzheimer's cases, the results confirm the interest of physical activity on the progression of cognition and dementia: the authors explain, in a press release, that their results "show a significant relationship between physical activity, cognition, functional status and Alzheimer's pathology, even in people with this genetic form of the disease. In the study, 70% of all these patients were able to achieve this level of physical activity, so this beneficial lifestyle factor is achievable and may play an important role against disease progression.
Encouraging results, and not only for people with this rare form , explains the Director of the Alzheimer's Association, Dr. Maria C. Carrillo. "If further research confirms this relationship between physical activity and late onset of dementia symptoms in this group of patients, we should attempt to extend our findings to the millions of people with later onset Alzheimer's." ".
Researchers from the University of Tübingen (Germany) analyzed the data of 275 patients carrying the genetic mutation in question, aged on average 38.4 years and looked at the impact of at least 150 minutes of physical activity (walking, running, swimming, aerobics, etc.) per week - the current practice recommendation of the World Health Organization - on participants' cognitive outcomes.
- 156 participants were considered high physical activity (> 150 minutes of physical activity / week),
- 68 at low physical activity (<150 minutes of physical activity / week),
- the type and frequency of exercise were taken into account, but not the intensity of the exercise.
- The analysis confirms that more physical activity leads to better results on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and various standard measures of cognition and function;
- lower levels of exercise are linked to higher levels of biomarkers (including Tau) of Alzheimer's disease in cerebrospinal fluid.
A physically active lifestyle is an achievable factor that can delay the development and progression of cognitive decline, the researchers conclude.
Thus, patients at genetic risk for dementia should opt for an active lifestyle.