Can exercise stop dementia?
Moving more could be the vital key to stopping this destructive disease in its tracks. Woman investigates…
Dementia is big news. You can’t go far without reading about the latest study dedicated to tackling this fast-growing problem. There are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025*. But if the latest study by the University of Cambridge is anything to go by, could something as simple as one hour of exercise be key to the demise of this destructive disease? we speak to Dr Pixie Mckenna to find out…
Dire statistics
Currently, the prognosis for dementia doesn’t look good. The Alzheimer’s Society predicts that 225,000 more people will develop the condition this year – that’s one person diagnosed every three minutes. No wonder £250 million has been invested into new research in the UK this year.
So who’s to blame for this grim projection? According to research, we are. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits are allowing sticky brain-destroying proteins, also known as plaques, to build up.
‘Many diseases that cause dementia – the general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with everyday life – do so as a result of abnormal protein build-up in our brain,’ explains Dr Mckenna. ‘As a result, patients may experience symptoms that impact their thinking processes, such as memory and concentration, as well as affecting their behaviour in terms of mood and personality or ability to do simple tasks, such as dressing or shopping,’ she adds.
This build-up of toxic proteins – amyloid and tau – is a key part of brain degeneration. It causes a loss of the contact points between neurons, as well as the loss of neurons themselves. What sparks this decline is not yet known, according to NHS UK, but for dementia sufferers, including those with Alzheimer’s – the most common form of dementia – this lethal build-up and the loss of the neurons’ normal function are the defining characteristics of this disease. Despite the complexity of the condition, could there be a simple solution?
Move for your mind
According to research at the University of Cambridge, yes. Scientists have revealed that just one hour’s exercise a week can slash the chance of Alzheimer’s disease by almost half. During the study, they found that people who failed to do three 20-minute sessions of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week, or five 30-minute sessions of moderate activity, like walking, were 82% more likely to go on to develop dementia. It concluded that one in three cases of the condition could be prevented if people exercised.
But is it that straightforward? Not entirely. ‘There is no single way to prevent dementia, [but] we may be
‘is there a simple solution?’
able to take steps to reduce our risk of developing dementia as we get older,’ says Professor Carol Brayne from the University of Cambridge. Dr Mckenna agrees, ‘You can’t absolutely swerve Alzheimer’s by exercising, but it can help keep it at bay.’
She continues, ‘Last year, Californian research found aerobic exercise to be the best at reducing cognitive decline in those who were at risk of or already had Alzheimer’s.’ While another study carried out by the University of Gothenburg found that staying fit in middle age could lower women’s risk of dementia by almost 90%. These results may be down to the fact that known Alzheimer’s risks, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and inactivity, can all be reduced by physical exercise.