United States: An expanded exercise routine in middle age can potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent research findings.
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The study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia on April 30 showed that people who met physical activity standards between the ages of 45 and 65 accumulated lower amounts of amyloid beta toxic protein, which produces brain plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.
According to researchers, the degree of physical activity directly affected brain amyloid beta levels since increased activity resulted in lower amyloid beta accumulation.
Active people exhibited minimal brain area reduction during aging, which specifically affects memory functions, along with Alzheimer’s areas, according to researchers’ findings.
According to the lead investigator Müge Akinci, a researcher with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain, “Even those who did less physical activity than recommended had greater cortical thickness than sedentary people, suggesting that any amount of exercise, no matter how minimal, has health benefits,” US News reported.
Research background shows that worldwide physical inactivity plays a role in causing 13% of Alzheimer’s disease instances.
Boosting physical activity in middle age reduces amyloid beta and brain shrinkage, protecting against #Alzheimer's. #brainhealth #publichealth https://t.co/cFxhOVNNNH
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The brain health data was studied by researchers throughout a long-term Alzheimer’s disease research project involving 337 participants from Catalonia, Spain.
“We used physical activity questionnaires to assess changes in activity over a four-year period and neuroimaging tests to analyze the effects of exercise on brain structure and function,” as per Akinci.
Participants received classifications according to exercise standards, which established 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week as well as 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise.
According to the study researchers, physical exercise benefits develop progressively based on how much one exercises rather than depending on meeting particular performance criteria.
Furthermore, as per the senior investigator Eider Arenaza-Urquijo of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, “These findings reinforce the importance of promoting physical activity in middle age as a public health strategy for Alzheimer’s prevention,” US News reported.
“Interventions aimed at promoting increased physical activity could be key to reducing the incidence of the disease in the future,” Arenaza-Urquijo added.