FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Vigorous exercise more than once a week may reduce the risk of dementia in people with hypertension, a new clinical trial shows.
People who engaged in vigorous physical activity each week had lower rates of mild cognitive impairment and dementia despite their hypertension, according to the results, published June 6 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Examples of vigorous activity include walking uphill, running, fast bicycling, swimming, aerobic dancing, jumping rope, and heavy yard work, according to the American Heart Association.
“We know that physical exercise offers many benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving heart health and potentially delaying cognitive decline,” said lead researcher Dr. Richard Kazibwe, assistant professor of internal medicine at the School of Medicine. from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
This new study offers insight into how much exercise is needed to get these benefits, Kazibwe added.
The clinical trial involved more than 9,300 participants with hypertension ages 50 and older, recruited from about 100 hospitals and clinics across the United States.
Early results published in 2019 showed that tight blood pressure control significantly reduced the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to early dementia, the researchers said.
In this new report, researchers analyzed the effect of exercise on the brain health of these people.
Nearly 60 percent of study participants reported vigorous physical activity at least once a week, even among those over 75, Kazibwe noted.
“It’s good news that more seniors are getting physical exercise,” Kazibwe said in a Wake Forest news release. “This also suggests that older adults who recognize the importance of exercise may be more inclined to exercise at higher intensity.”
However, the protective impact of vigorous exercise on brain health was most pronounced for those younger than 75, the results showed.
More information
The American Heart Association has more information on recommended physical activity.
SOURCE: Wake Forest University, press release, June 6, 2024
