Moderate exercise may slow cognitive decline caused by preclinical Alzheimer's disease
Physical inactivity is a risk factor for the onset of Alzheimer's disease. An international team has studied nearly 300 people with preclinical Alzheimer's—without symptoms but with an accumulation of tau and beta-amyloid proteins in the brain—for 14 years to find out whether physical exercise can also influence its progression. The results indicate that even very moderate activity—walking between 3,000 and 5,000 steps per day—was associated with slower deterioration, while the benefits—which appear to be related to lower tau protein deposits—were greater and tended to stabilise with activity involving between 5,000 and 7,500 steps. The results are published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Eloy Rodríguez - pasos alzhéimer EN
Eloy Rodríguez Rodríguez
Head of the Neurology Department at the Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL University Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Cantabria
It is a very interesting study, methodologically well done, which adds to a growing body of evidence pointing to the protective effect of aerobic exercise, in this case moderate exercise, against Alzheimer's disease. In my opinion, the most interesting aspect is the long observation period (14 years) and how well the subjects in the cohort have been studied, allowing us to discern that the underlying mechanism is the reduced accumulation of tau protein.
The accumulating evidence should guide public health policies towards the promotion of physical exercise in the general population and, especially, in high-risk populations, using it as a prevention tool.
Tara Spires-Jones - pasos alzhéimer EN
Tara Spires-Jones
Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and Past President of the British Neuroscience Association
Conflicts of interest: "I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai, and direct a company Spires-Jones Neuroscience, Ltd to act as a consultant. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions".
Charles Marshall - pasos alzhéimer EN
Charles Marshall
Professor of Clinical Neurology, Queen Mary University of London
This research provides strong evidence that moderate levels of physical activity are associated with slower progression of the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and that this is linked to slower accumulation of tau protein, which is an important cause of brain cell loss.
With this type of observational study, it is always hard to be sure whether the physical activity is actually the thing causing the observed difference. The authors do a good job of trying to disentangle this, but we cannot be certain whether the people doing more exercise are healthier in other ways, nor whether the development of Alzheimer’s disease changes are influencing activity levels (reverse causality). We also cannot be sure that it is physical activity during this period in later life that makes the difference, or whether those who are more active now have been more active for decades and that the benefits accrue in the much longer term.
Nevertheless, this study does add to a wealth of evidence suggesting that regular physical activity is good for your brain as well as all of the other physical benefits it brings, and I would have no hesitation in encouraging people to aim for a daily step goal.
Yau et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
