TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise may help treat
memory problems in adults, according to new research from
Australia.
The study, focused on 138 people age 50 and older at increased
risk for dementia, found that a home-based physical activity
program led to modest improvements in cognitive function in adults
with memory difficulties.
The participants -- who had memory problems but didn't meet
criteria for dementia -- were randomly assigned to do the 24-week
home-based physical activity program or to receive usual care.
Those in the exercise group were encouraged to do at least 150
minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week in three
50-minute sessions. Walking was the most frequently recommended
type of activity. Participants in the exercise group did an average
of 142 minutes more physical activity per week, or 20 minutes more
per day, than those in the usual care group.
Over 18 months, participants in the exercise group had better
Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog)
scores and delayed recall, and lower Clinical Dementia Rating
scores, than those in the usual care group. The ADAS-Cog consists
of a number of cognitive tests.
The findings were published in the Sept. 3 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
"To our knowledge, this trial is the first to demonstrate that exercise improves cognitive function in older adults with subjective and objective mild cognitive impairment. The benefits of physical activity were apparent after six months and persisted for at least another 12 months after the intervention had been discontinued. The average improvement of 0.69 points on the ADAS-Cog score compared with the usual care group at 18 months is small but potentially important when one considers the relatively modest amount of physical activity undertaken by participants in the study," wrote Dr. Nicola T. Lautenschlager, of the University of Melbourne, and colleagues.
"Unlike medication, which was found to have no significant effect on mild cognitive impairment at 36 months, physical activity has the advantage of health benefits that are not confined to cognitive function alone, as suggested by findings on depression, quality of life, falls, cardiovascular function, and disability," the researchers added.
They noted that the number of older adults with Alzheimer's
disease (AD) could increase from the current 26.6 million to 106.2
million by 2050. If AD onset could be delayed by 12 months, there
would be 9.2 million fewer cases of AD worldwide.
Exercise and other lifestyle factors may benefit older adults at
risk for Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Eric B. Larson, of the Group
Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, wrote in an
accompanying editorial in the journal.
"Health advances of the past century have led to more individuals surviving to extreme old age, when their risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias increases substantially," Larson added. "Exercise -- and possibly other lifestyle factors -- appears to affect vascular risk and late-life brain health."
More information
The National Institute on Aging has more about
memory loss.
