Ten million new cases of dementia diagnosed every year. Approximately 55 million affected people worldwide. And according to the most serious estimates of the 2015 world report, this figure is set to double every 20 years, reaching 78 million patients in 2030 and even 139 million by 2050. And then there is Alzheimer’s disease, the form more common and manifest of dementia (from 50 to 80% of cases), which causes memory loss and other intellectual abilities which, with worsening, come to interfere with daily life in an ever greater way. Alzheimer’s is the most widespread ailment on the planet, the true “disease of the century”.
But if there is still no real treatment to cure it, the evidence that physical activity and in particular aerobic movement are able to reduce the risk of developing it is today very solid. And fromAmerican Academy of Neurology further confirmation arrives: regular cardiorespiratory activity can reduce the risk of developing ADRD, or Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia, by 33%.
Longform
To be good for the brain, get your legs moving
by Nicla Panciera
The more “active” risk less than the sedentary
The study will be presented at the 74th meeting of the American Academy of Neurology from April 2 to 7 in Seattle. The team of neuroscientists led by Edward Zamrini – Professor in the Department of Clinical Research at George Washington University and Director of Neurology at the prestigious Irvine Clinical Research – followed 650,000 US war veterans between the ages of 30 and 95 and without ADRD diagnosis. During an observation period of nearly 9 years during which participants underwent standardized physical tests on treadmills, Zamrini and colleagues estimated the incidence of Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia as a function of recorded athletic performance.
The analysis is based on “cardiorespiratory fitness”, a parameter that describes the ability of the heart and lungs to transport oxygen and that of the muscles to absorb it and transform it into energy during exercise. The tests were aimed precisely at assessing individuals’ exercise tolerance, using a unified measure: the Met. Met stands for Metabolic equivalence task, translated “Metabolic equivalent of activity” and estimates the amount of energy used by the body during physical activity regardless of subjective data such as body weight.
The neuroscientists divided the participants into five groups based on the level of effort they could safely sustain, based on their Mets. In practice, 1 Met is equivalent to sitting quietly, yoga employs 3.2 Met, while for a backpacking walk at high speed you need 11.6 Met. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease for the less trained – we read in the conclusions – is 9.5 cases per 1000, but drops to 6.4 cases per 1000 for the most trained. “Our work shows that it is not necessary to become a professional marathon runner to reduce risks – explains Zamrini – even a minimal increase in physical activity can help!”.
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The results
“With every small increase in physical activity, there is a lower chance of getting sick in the future. And it’s not an ‘all or nothing’ relationship: people can engage by making gradual changes to their lifestyle in hopes of reducing the risks. , especially in the presence of genetic risk factors “, observes the expert.
The conclusions of the analysis are indeed clear: the less fit individuals show the absolute highest probability of developing Alzheimer’s and related dementias, while the risk decreases significantly as physical activity is practiced more. Specifically, the more trained group is 33% less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s than the “less athletic” group, the second about 26%, the third 20% and the fourth 13%.
The idea that regular physical activity might be enough to significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s is promising, since unfortunately today there are no adequate treatments to prevent or interrupt the course of the disease.
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“There are two main factors that influence the level of cardiorespiratory fitness: genetics and habitual exercise – continues Zamrini -. We cannot change our genetics, but we can improve our shape with routine exercise programs”. “My advice is to adopt the healthiest lifestyles possible, even if they absorb more time. And therefore a healthy diet, regular sleep cycle, exercise and mentally active and socially inclusive life”, concludes the expert.