Getting the blood pumping with exercise ‘protects against Alzheimer’s’ as good blood flow keeps the brain healthy, study claims
Dr David Reynolds of Alzheimer's Research UK says this study is 'growing evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain'
EXERCISE that gets the heart pumping may protect against Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests.
A badly performing heart reduces blood flow to a part of the brain critical for processing memories.
People who pumped little blood had a flow to this area of someone up to 20 years older.
The region – named the temporal lobe – is where Alzheimer’s first begins.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University, US, assessed 314 patients with an average age of 73.
Some 39 per cent had mild cognitive impairment, which increases the risk of developing dementia.
Study leader Dr Angela Jefferson said the research was “especially important”.
She added: “It may help us leverage our knowledge about managing heart health to address and treat risk factors for memory loss in older adults before cognitive symptoms develop.”
Dr David Reynolds, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The study adds to the growing evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain.
“It is never too late or too early to start taking steps to support better heart and brain health.”
The findings are published in the journal Neurology.
