Seniors who live an active lifestyle lower their risk of dementia, according to a new study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Researchers followed 876 volunteers with an average age of 78, and found that those who exercised more had brain volumes that were 5 percent larger than those who exercised the least. Over the course of five years, those with the larger volumes had “a 50 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s-related impairment or dementia,” according to www.today.com.
“To the extent that they are showing changes on brain scans, that is compelling mechanistic data,” Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish told www.today.com. “What’s good for the heart is also good for the brain, and physical activity is one of those things.”