Many in middle age begin worrying that dementia is around the corner, even if they’s still mentally sharp. An exercise program will offset the worry for good reason.
Staying physically active and keeping blood sugar in a healthy range during midlife may help slow cognitive decline years later, according to research from UT Health San Antonio.
The effect of exercise appeared especially strong among Hispanic adults, while blood sugar levels were more closely tied to cognitive changes among non-Hispanic white participants.
Researchers studied 402 people in San Antonio. About 52% were Hispanic, and 58.5% were women. The average age was nearly 58.
Exercise and Cognitive Decline
Among Hispanic participants, people who exercised tended to experience a slower decline in thinking abilities later in life.
For non-Hispanic white participants, fasting blood glucose appeared to be more important. Lower levels were associated with slower cognitive decline.
In short, this is strong evidence that aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on how well your brain works.
Midlife Heart Health and Dementia Risk
Heart health and brain health are closely connected. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and other cardiovascular problems can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 system measures several factors, including physical activity, diet, smoking, blood pressure, body weight, cholesterol and fasting glucose.
Earlier studies have linked better cardiovascular health with stronger cognitive performance and a lower dementia risk.
But those relationships may differ between populations.
Hispanic Adults Face Higher Dementia Risk
Hispanic older adults experience a greater burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias than do non-Hispanic white adults.
Diabetes, obesity and abnormal cholesterol levels are also more common among Mexican Americans, potentially increasing their long-term dementia risk.
Yet Hispanic populations have historically been underrepresented in Alzheimer’s research.
A Long-Term San Antonio Study
The researchers drew participants from two major long-running studies: the San Antonio Heart Study and the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging.
The heart study began in 1979 and followed more than 5,000 people, examining conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Some participants later became part of the aging study, which followed chronic disease, disability and healthy aging over time.
This gave researchers an opportunity to examine cardiovascular health during midlife and compare it with cognitive changes later on.
Measuring Changes in Thinking
Researchers used Life’s Simple 7 scores to assess cardiovascular health.
Cognitive function was tested as many as four times using the Mini-Mental State Examination, which measures areas such as memory, attention and thinking.
The analysis also accounted for factors including age, sex, income and education.
Additional testing was performed to determine whether participants leaving the study affected the results.
Exercise and Blood Sugar Stood Out
For Mexican American participants, doing any amount of physical activity was associated with slower cognitive decline compared with being sedentary.
Fasting blood glucose showed a different pattern. Among non-Hispanic white participants, levels of 126 milligrams per deciliter or below were associated with a slower decline in cognition.
The researchers say that larger studies are needed to confirm the differences between ethnic groups.
Still, the results shouldn’t be dimissed; there’s seems to be a strong connection between cardiovascular health and mental clarity.
