AEROBIC EXERCISE MAY HELP PREVENT ALZHEIMER’S
AEROBIC EXERCISE MAY HELP PREVENT ALZHEIMER’S
Check out this article in Med Page Today about the positive impact that aerobic exercise may have in prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Helio: Aerobic exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
“Aerobic exercise appeared to reduce cognitive impairment — a finding that may help guide future Alzheimer’s disease research, according to study results published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.”
“In the current prospective clinical trial, Thomas and colleagues enrolled 30 participants aged 60 years or older with amnestic mild cognitive impairment into an aerobic exercise training group or a stretch training/control group for 12 months. Three times per week, both groups engaged in 25 to 30 minutes of training, with a gradual increase in frequency and duration over time.
Results showed a 47% improvement in some memory scores after 1 year among the aerobic exercise group compared with minimal change among the stretching group. At-rest brain imaging of the aerobic exercise group, taken at the study’s beginning and end, showed increased blood flow to the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex, both of which are associated with memory function.
“Exercise seems to show promise for improving cognition and blood flow to brain regions sensitive to Alzheimer’s disease,” Thomas told Healio Psychiatry. “Pharmaceutical companies could use this information to improve cerebral blood flow to brain regions that showed increased blood flow in this study, to see if it is beneficial in mild cognitive impairment. Exercise may also be prescribed to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease processes.”
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