Jul 28, 2008 7:46 pm US/Eastern
Exercise May Ease Alzheimer's
Kansas City (AP) ―
Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease could prevent deterioration of the brain by exercising, says a new study released on Sunday.
The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, found that patients who performed better on a treadmill test had less atrophy in the sections of the brain that control memory.
MRI scans showed less shrinkage in patients with a higher fitness score. Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, studied more than 100 people over the age of 60. About 50 were healthy older adults. Half of the subjects were in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
The study was released at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
In a statement, a lead researcher said the study suggests "maintaining cardio-respiratory fitness may positively modify Alzheimer's-related brain atrophy."
It isn't clear whether exercise helped avoid brain damage or if brain-damaged people had less ability to exercise.
Exercise has been previously linked to slower age-related brain cell death in adults.
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