Exercise May Be As Valuable As Good Genes In Lowering Dementia Risk

This study is still epidemiological data, Heisz noted ― which means it shows a link between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but doesn’t necessarily explain how one leads to the other. But taken with previous research that has linked physical activity is to lower dementia risk, the results are fairly convincing, she added. This study included a large number of individuals, it followed those individuals for five years and it controlled for other dementia risk factors, including age, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and smoking.  More studies are needed to identify what types of exercise provide the most benefit in terms of preventing dementia, she said ― as well as to determine the exact mechanisms in the brain that make physical activity protective when it comes to cognitive decline.  “If a physician were to ask us today what type of exercise to prescribe for a patient to reduce the risk of dementia, the honest answer is ‘we really don’t know,’” another study co-author, Barbara Fenesi, a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster, noted in a press release. The group is conducting another study comparing different types of exercise ― including high-intensity training and moderate continuous training ― to start to answer some of those questions. The important message here is that some physical activity does appear to be beneficial ― and being sedentary appears to increase dementia risk, Heisz said...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news