Swapping a sedentary for a physically active lifestyle may diminish an individual's propensity of acquiring and dying from dementia.
This study compared dementia incidence and mortality rates among individuals who adopt a physically active and sedentary lifestyle. Researchers examined the lifestyle habits and prevalence of dementia in a study population comprising of nearly half a million men and women over a 12.4-year period. During the course of the study, up to 2,115 out of the 6,904 participants who had dementia died from the disease.
Researchers noticed that individuals regularly involved in exercises, such as swimming, cycling, bowling, and aerobics, had lower risk of developing and dying from dementia than their counterparts who engaged in sedentary behaviors. This study highlighted the beneficial role physical activities play in the prevention of dementia.