Walking and dementia

Studies have revealed that regular walking reduces risk of dementia in older men and women.

Studies published in the latest issue of JAMA have revealed that regular walking and physical exercise reduces risk of dementia in older men and women.

While, Robert D. Abbott of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, along with his colleagues conducted a study on 2,257 physically capable men in the age group of 71 to 93 years, Jennifer Weuve of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, along with her colleagues surveyed 18,766 women aged 70 to 81 years.

Abbot's study found that after adjusting for age, men who walked the least (less than 0.25 mile/day) experienced a 1.8-fold excess risk of dementia compared with those who walked more than 2 miles/day. Men who walked 0.25 to 1 mile/day experienced a 71 percent increased risk of dementia compared to men who walked the most (more than 2 miles/day).

Jenifer's study also revealed that higher levels of physical exercise were linked to better cognitive performance. Women who walked at an easy pace for at least 1.5 hours per week had higher cognitive scores than those who walked less than forty minutes per week. Women in the two groups with the highest rates of physical activity also had significantly less cognitive decline than women with the lowest rate of physical activity.

"There are no clear explanations for the relation between walking and dementia. Although associations were independent of other study characteristics that were determined at the time when walking was assessed, it may be that men who walk frequently are more resistant to risk factor changes or transitions into adverse risk factor states," said the study authors.

"Although complex, this study and past evidence suggest that walking and active lifestyles in general are associated with a reduced risk of dementia," the researchers concluded.