People aged 65 and older who regularly walk and get other forms of moderate exercise were found to have a lower risk of developing vascular dementia.
For this latest study, the researchers examined 749 men and women who were over the age of 65 and did not have memory problems at the start of the study. The amount of energy exerted in a week through physical activity was recorded for each participant.
The participants were then ranked into three groups depending on their levels of physical activity.
Those that were in the most active group, burning over 8,090Kcal per week, lowered their risk of dementia by 29 per cent compared with those that were least active, less than 6,000Kcal per week.
While those who had moderate levels of physical activity, around 6,749Kcal per week, lowered their risk of dementia by 24 per cent compared with those that were least active.
sanjay.tanday@haymarket.com
Journal of the American Academy of Neurology
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