Exercise 'slows down Alzheimer's'





























Being physically fit could hold back the advance of Alzheimer's disease, US researchers have suggested.







Their study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 121 people
aged over 60, around half of them in the early stages of the disease.



Those with Alzheimer's who were less fit had four times more signs of brain shrinkage than those who were fit.








The Alzheimer's Research Trust said other research showed exercise reduced the risk of dementia.

People with early Alzheimer's disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly Dr Jeffrey Burns University of Kansas School of Medicine

Some 700,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, with this
number predicted to grow quickly over the next two decades, as the
proportion of older people in the population increases. Other studies looking at the relationship between
dementia and exercise tend to focus on whether being active can reduce
the risk of the condition developing in the first place. Dr Jeffrey Burns, from the University of Kansas School
of Medicine, said his was one of the first to look at whether exercise
could affect the progress of the illness. His volunteers underwent a treadmill test to see how
fit they were and then their brains were scanned for shrinkage, which
is one way of measuring the severity of their Alzheimer's.






Brain volume







While there was no relationship between brain size and exercise in
people tested who did not have Alzheimer's, Dr Burns said the four-fold
difference in those who did was evidence that exercise might help. He said: "People with early Alzheimer's disease may be
able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by
exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain
volume lost. "Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to
poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may
translate into better cognitive performance." Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's
Society, said: "Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering
oxygen and nutrients to brain cells.



"This is one possible explanation why dementia progresses slower in people who are physically fit.




"Exercise also reduces your risk of developing dementia so it's
important to take regular exercise. A healthy heart means a healthy
brain." Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's
Research Trust, said: "This adds to previous research showing that
exercise helps reduce the risk of dementia and slows down its onset. "A balanced diet and regular exercise can improve the
quality of life of older people with dementia, as well as those who do
not have the condition."









Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7505091.stm

Published: 2008/07/14 23:10:52 GMT

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