An active body contributes to an active mind – and may even keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay, new research suggests.
A daily workout – jogging event going for a brisk walk – appears to reduce risk of developing Alzheimer’s or slow its progression, according to a new study published in the Archives of Neurology.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis tracked the exercise habits of 56 people, over the age of 45, deemed at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The scientists identified the participants by asking about family history of the disease and by scanning their brains for signs of so-called “amyloid plaque” deposits associated with Alzheimer’s. People with more plaques have more memory loss. They were also tested for genetic factors that may predispose them to developing Alzheimer’s.
The study participants who reported walking or jogging often in the previous 10 years -- meeting or exceeding the American Heart Association’s recommended daily regimen of 30 minutes of moderate exercise -- had fewer amyloid plaques than the volunteers who reported not exercising.
In addition, working out appeared to lower the risk of developing amyloid plaques in people who have a genetic predisposition that puts them at greater risk of developing them.
The study participants were recruited from a larger pool of individuals who are part of a study at the university’s Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center