Senior Citizen Exercise Appears to Prevent, Improve
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Moderate exercise in late life for men and woman was
associated with a 32% reduction in the odds of developing cognitive
impairment.
Jan. 11, 2010 - Moderate physical activity
performed in midlife or even as a senior citizen appears to be
associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment, whereas a
six-month high-intensity aerobic exercise program may improve cognitive
function in individuals who already have the condition, according to two
reports in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
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Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate state
between the normal thinking, learning and memory changes that occur with
age and dementia, according to background information in one of the
articles. Each year, 10 percent to 15 percent of individuals with mild
cognitive impairment will develop dementia, as compared with 1 percent
to 2 percent of the general population.
Previous studies in animals and humans have
suggested that exercise may improve cognitive function.
In one article, Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., of the
University of Washington and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care
System, Seattle, and colleagues report the results of a randomized,
controlled clinical trial involving 33 adults with mild cognitive
impairment (17 women, average age 70).
A group of 23 were randomly assigned to an aerobic
exercise group and exercised at high intensity levels under the
supervision of a trainer for 45 to 60 minutes per day, four days per
week.
The control group of 10 individuals performed
supervised stretching exercises according to the same schedule but kept
their heart rate low. Fitness testing, body fat analysis, blood tests of
metabolic markers and cognitive functions were assessed before, during
and after the six-month trial.
A total of 29 participants completed the study.
Overall, the patients in the high-intensity aerobic
exercise group experienced improved cognitive function compared with
those in the control group.
These effects were more pronounced in women than in
men, despite similar increases in fitness. The sex differences may be
related to the metabolic effects of exercise, as changes to the body's
use and production of insulin, glucose and the stress hormone cortisol
differed in men and women.
"Aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice that
is associated with numerous physical benefits. The results of this study
suggest that exercise also provides a cognitive benefit for some adults
with mild cognitive impairment," the authors conclude.
"Six months of a behavioral intervention involving
regular intervals of increased heart rate was sufficient to improve
cognitive performance for an at-risk group without the cost and adverse
effects associated with most pharmaceutical therapies."
In another report, Yonas E. Geda, M.D., M.Sc., and
colleagues at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., studied 1,324 individuals
without dementia who were part of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.
Participants completed a physical exercise questionnaire between 2006
and 2008. They were then assessed by an expert consensus panel, who
classified each as having normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment.
A total of 198 participants (median or midpoint
age, 83 years) were determined to have mild cognitive impairment and
1,126 (median age 80) had normal cognition.
Those who reported performing moderate
exercisesuch as brisk walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training or
swimmingduring midlife or late life were less likely to have mild
cognitive impairment.
Midlife moderate exercise was associated with 39
percent reduction in the odds of developing the condition, and moderate
exercise in late life was associated with a 32 percent reduction. The
findings were consistent among men and women.
Light exercise (such as bowling, slow dancing or
golfing with a cart) or vigorous exercise (including jogging, skiing and
racquetball) were not independently associated with reduced risk for
mild cognitive impairment.
Physical exercise may protect against mild
cognitive impairment via the production of nerve-protecting compounds,
greater blood flow to the brain, improved development and survival of
neurons and the decreased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, the
authors note.
"A second possibility is that physical exercise may
be a marker for a healthy lifestyle," they write.
"A subject who engages in regular physical exercise
may also show the same type of discipline in dietary habits, accident
prevention, adherence to preventive intervention, compliance with
medical care and similar health-promoting behaviors."
Future study is needed to confirm whether exercise
is associated with the decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment and
provide additional information on cause and effect relationships, they
conclude.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Jan. 11, 2010 - Moderate physical activity
performed in midlife or even as a senior citizen appears to be
associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment, whereas a
six-month high-intensity aerobic exercise program may improve cognitive
function in individuals who already have the condition, according to two
reports in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals. 
