A wealth of studies have shown how physical exercise could be beneficial for the prevention of many health conditions. A new study in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy demonstrates of exercising at least once each week may reduce the risk of worsening cognitive decline.
As conducted by a team of South Korean researchers, the study looked at the data of nearly 250,000 people as part of the National Health Insurance Service cohort of Korea. The cohort occurred from 2009-2015.
All in all, the findings concluded that patients with mild cognitive impairment were at a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease if they initiated a moderately-based exercise routine for about ten minutes or more, once a week.
Mild cognitive impairment is generally a precursor for the progression toward a more severe outcome of cognitive decline: dementia; although, however, these new findings along with several prior studies suggest physical fitness could lower the chances of dementia for those at high risk.
“Although no causal inference could be made, continued regular physical activity in patients with MCI is associated with a protective effect against developing dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT),” the co-authors concluded in their findings.
“Moreover, ceasing physical activity could halt this protective effect.”
The study was authored by Yeo Jin Kim, Kyung-Do Han, Min Seok Baek, Hanna Cho, Eun Joo Lee, and Chul Hyoung Lyoo.
