Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13727)           
UK only International

Physical exercise 'protects against Alzheimer's'

By Tom Walker    18 Jun 2018
The research studied 201 adults aged between 60 and 90 years / Shutterstock

Physical exercise and keeping fit can protect against the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology (CHP) at the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.

The research by CHP shows that the rate of decline in certain aspects of memory may be explained by a combination of overall physical fitness and the stiffness of the central arteries.

The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, investigated the theory that fitness could be associated with better cognition through a healthier aorta.

A group of 201 adults (73 females and 29 males), aged between 60 and 90 years, living independently in aged care communities, were recruited for the study.

Their fitness was assessed with a six-minute walk test which involved participants walking back and forth between two markers placed 10 metres apart for six minutes.

Only participants who completed the full six minutes were included in the analysis, which assessed the stiffness of their arteries and cognitive performance.

The researchers found that – along with body mass index and gender – the combination of fitness and aortic stiffness explained a third of the variation in performance in working memory in older people.

Lead author Greg Kennedy says that from early adulthood, memory and other aspects of cognition slowly decline, with an increasing risk of developing into dementia in later life.

“Exactly why this occurs is unclear, but research indicates that exercise and physical fitness are protective,” Kennedy said.

“A healthier, more elastic aorta is also theorised to protect cognitive function, by reducing the negative effects of excessive blood pressure on the brain.

“People generally are less fit and have stiffer arteries as they age, which seems to explain the difference in memory ability that is usually attributed to ‘getting older’.

“Unfortunately, there is currently no effective pharmacological intervention that has proven effective in the long term in reducing this decline or staving off dementia.

“The results of this study indicate that remaining as physically fit as possible, and monitoring central arterial health, may well be an important, cost-effective way to maintain our memory and other brain functions in older age.”

Centre for Human Psychopharmacology  Swinburne University of Technology  Alzheimer's 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features

Company profile

Company profile: Legend by Xplor
We help a wide range of public sector leisure operators (including Leisure Trusts, Leisure Management Companies, Local Authorities and Universities), as well as private operators, to streamline complex operations, achieve growth and drive retention.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Elevate registrations soar: a record-breaking start to Elevate 2024
Elevate, the premier event in the physical activity, fitness, sports therapy and performance sector, is thrilled to announce that registrations for its 2024 conference are now live – and the response has been nothing short of exceptional.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates