Performing vigorous-intensity physical exercise several times a week reduces the risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, in older patients with high blood pressure.
- Performing vigorous-intensity physical exercise several times a week reduces the risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, in older adults with hypertension, a new study finds.
- Scientists point out that these benefits are even greater in those under 75.
- Further research is needed to confirm these results, which are based on data – the frequency of physical activity – self-reported by participants.
No matter your age, physical exercise is important for your health. A new study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementiaprovides further evidence that this is beneficial for older people, particularly those with high blood pressure and at high risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia.
Do physical exercise once a week
“Physical exercise has many benefits, including reducing blood pressure, improving heart health and potentially delaying cognitive decline.says Richard Kazibwe, lead author of the study, in a communicated. However, the amount and intensity of exercise needed to preserve cognition remains unknown.“
In their study, the researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine specify the frequency. They indicate that, for elderly hypertensive people, the risk of cognitive disorders would be reduced if they practiced physical activity of sustained intensity more than once a week. That is to say, for example, a mhill climbing, hiking in the mid-mountains, digging, playing tennis or football, jogging or swimming fast…
To reach this conclusion, the scientists analyzed the impact of vigorous-intensity physical exercise, at least once a week, on the risk of mild cognitive impairment. The sessions were declared by participants in a clinical trial called SPRINT. This trial began in 2009 and included approximately 9,300 people aged 50 and over, all suffering from high blood pressure. Among them, nearly 60% practiced physical activity at least once a week, even those aged 75 and over.
A reduction in the risk of cognitive disorders is greater in those under 75 years old
They were able to observe that those who practiced one or more sessions of sustained-intensity physical activity per week had lower rates of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The beneficial impact of sport was even greater in people under 75 years of age.
“Although this study provides evidence that sustained exercise can preserve cognitive function in high-risk hypertensive patients, further research is needed to include device-based measures of physical activity and more diverse participant populations.“, underlines Richard Kazibwe. Indeed, the self-declared aspect of the frequency of physical activity can bias the initial data and therefore the result….
The fact remains that physical activity is good for your health and is recommended! For adults aged 18 to 65 and over, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) recommends practicing at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity sport or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity per week. From the age of 65, the health authority recommends varying activities by putting “emphasis on functional balance and moderate or greater intensity strength exercises, 3 times per week or more, to improve [la] functional capacity and prevent falls.”
