Walking an extra 30 minutes daily could cut dementia risk by 21%
Almost one million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, with that figure expected to rise. Depending on the type of dementia a person has it can affect memory and behaviour, making everyday life difficult for both them and their loved ones. Although there is no known cure yet, there are measures that can be taken to reduce your risk.
She said: “Given that the onset of dementia begins 20 years or more before symptoms show, the early intervention for delaying or preventing cognitive decline and dementia among older adults is essential.”
As part of the research, researchers sampled data from 1,277 women as part of two Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) ancillary studies.
Participants wore accelerometers and went about their normal daily activities for up to a week to obtain accurate measures of physical activity and sitting.
The trackers showed the women averaged 3,216 steps, 276 minutes in light physical activities, 45.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and 10.5 hours of sitting per day.
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“Prevention is important because once dementia is diagnosed, it is very difficult to slow or reverse. There is no cure.”
The study also showed that higher amounts of sitting and prolonged sitting were not associated with higher risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
However, the team hoped the research would highlight the importance of daily exercise among older people.
First author Steven Nguyen said: “Older adults can be encouraged to increase movement of at least moderate intensity and take more steps each day for a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
“The findings for steps per day are particularly noteworthy because steps are recorded by a variety of wearable devices increasingly worn by individuals and could be readily adopted.”
Dementia is more common among women than men.
However, the study authors believe more extensive research on the subject, that includes men, is needed.
Some common early symptoms of dementia include:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes.
If you think you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of dementia, speak to a GP.
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