Neurology: Middle-life exercise, healthier brains in later life!

JANUARY 11, 2021 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal Neurologology, scientists from the Alzheimer's Research Institute and others in the United Kingdom found that the more physical activity an individual exercises in middle-life, the healthier the brain will be in later life.
, the researchers included 1,604 volunteers to see if there was a strong link between physical activity levels and brain health in later life. In the
study, the volunteers reported their levels of exercise at the start of the study and 25 years later, when the researchers classified the amount of exercise the volunteers had at no, low, medium and high levels, and then mri-brain scans of the volunteers in later life to look for signs of poor brain health, including a class of brain damage and brain atrophy called cerebrovascular lesions.
Photo Source: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Researchers found that individuals who exercised at a high level of more than 150 minutes a week in middle age had healthier brains in later life, including fewer cerebrovascular lesions in later life.
Sara Imarisio, a researcher at the university, said the study adds to growing evidence that exercise may be an important way to keep the brain healthy.
Although the volunteers in the study self-reported their body's level of exercise, which may not be so accurate, high levels of physical activity in middle age were directly associated with fewer signs of brain damage later in life.
researchers point out that the more exercise people do, the less damage they have to the blood vessels in their brains, suggesting that physical activity may be affecting brain health primarily by affecting the brain's blood supply.
The Alzheimer's Research Institute in the UK is currently conducting a study to look at the feasibility of middle-age people using daily exercise as part of a healthier lifestyle, with larger trials to assess the impact of exercise on their brain health.
Only a third of people think it's likely to reduce their risk of dementia, while 77% think exercise can help reduce their risk of heart disease, and while there's no safe way to prevent it, our brain doesn't work in isolation, so it's good for everyone. This approach may also be good for brain health; the strongest evidence is that, in addition to maintaining physical and mental activity, a healthy and balanced diet, not smoking, drinking alcohol only within the recommended range, maintaining weight, and regularly checking cholesterol and blood pressure may be a number of beneficial ways to support a healthy brain as the body ages.
original source: Priya Palta, A. Richey Sharrett, Kelley Pettee Gabriel, et al. A prospective analysis of leisure-time physical activity in mid-life and beyond and brain damage on MRI in older adults. Neurology. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011375