Study: Women with High Cardiovascular Fitness Less Likely to Develop Dementia

According to a 44-year longitudinal population study, published online in the journal Neurology, women with high cardiovascular fitness in midlife were 88% less likely to develop dementia decades later, compared to women who were moderately fit; when the highly fit women did develop dementia, they developed the disease an average of 11 years later than women who were moderately fit, or at age 90 instead of age 79.

, Study: Women with High Cardiovascular Fitness Less Likely to Develop Dementia, #Bizwhiznetwork.com Innovation ΛI

Among Swedish women, a high cardiovascular fitness in midlife was associated with a decreased risk of subsequent dementia. Image credit: Brisbane City Council / CC BY 2.0.

“Our findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people’s cardiovascular fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia,” said lead author Dr. Helena Hörder, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

For the study, a population-based sample of 1,462 Swedish women (aged 38 to 60) was examined in 1968.

Of these, a systematic subsample comprising 191 women took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.

A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher.

A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.

Over the next 44 years, the women were tested for dementia six times (in 1974, 1980, 1992, 2000, 2005, and 2009). During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia.

Nearly 5% of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25% of moderately fit women and 32% of the women with low fitness.

The highly fit women were 88% less likely to develop dementia than the moderately fit women.

Among the women who had to stop the exercise test due to problems, 45% developed dementia decades later.

“This indicates that negative cardiovascular processes may be happening in midlife that could increase the risk of dementia much later in life,” Dr. Hörder said.

“However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association.”

“Limitations of the study include the relatively small number of women involved, all of whom were from Sweden, so the results may not be applicable to other populations. Also, the women’s fitness level was measured only once, so any changes in fitness over time were not captured,” she added.

“More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important.”

_____

Helena Hörder et al. Midlife cardiovascular fitness and dementia. A 44-year longitudinal population study in women. Neurology, published online March 14, 2018; doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000005290

About Skype

Check Also

, Honey Consumption, #Bizwhiznetwork.com Innovation ΛI

Honey Consumption

Honey, especially robinia (also known as acacia honey, a honey from false acacia or black …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Bizwhiznetwork Consultation