WEDNESDAY April 16 (HealthDay News) -- Regular physical exercise
may help protect against mild cognitive impairment, according to a
Mayo Clinic study.
People with mild cognitive impairment can handle everyday
activities but often have trouble remembering details of
conversations, events and upcoming appointments. Most, but not all,
people with mild cognitive impairment experience a progressive
decline in their cognitive abilities, and the underlying cause is
usually Alzheimer's disease, according to background information in
the study.
The physical benefits of exercise are well-known, but this is
one of the first studies to examine whether exercise can help
protect the brain.
The Mayo researchers randomly selected 868 people, aged 70 to
89, taking part in the ongoing Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Of these
people, 128 had mild cognitive impairment, and 740 were cognitively
normal. The researchers conducted surveys to gather data on the
participants' levels of exercise between the ages of 50 and 65 and
during the year prior to the survey.
Moderate physical exercise between the ages of 50 and 65 was
associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment, but the
same was not true of exercise during the year prior to the
survey.
The study was expected to be presented Wednesday at the American
Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago. Lead investigator
and neuropsychiatrist Dr. Yonas Endale Geda said the findings need
to be replicated in a prospective cohort study, and also noted that
this study did not address how physical exercise may protect
against mild cognitive impairment.
"Regarding the mechanism of action of physical exercise and mild
cognitive impairment, we speculate that either exercise induces
chemicals that protect brain cells, or exercise is simply a marker
for an overall healthy lifestyle, or there is some positive
interaction among exercise, healthy lifestyle and intellectually
stimulating activity," Geda said in a prepared statement.
More information
The Alzheimer's Association has more about
mild cognitive impairment.
