Physical activity practiced in adulthood would not be a bulwark against dementia. This is revealed by a new study carried out by Inserm and published in the British Medical Journal. A conclusion that goes against the grain of many studies previously carried out on the subject, according to which sport would reduce the risk of dementia.
No neuroprotective effect
It is precisely to examine this hypothesis that researchers from the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health in France followed 10,308 volunteers for 27 years. Aged 35 to 55, the participants were given cognitive tests every four years and their physical activity was also measured.
Result: this study did not reveal any neuroprotective effect of the practice of sport. People following recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning physical activity would thus present a decline in cognitive functions (memory, reasoning skills, etc.) similar to that of sedentary people. However, a decline in physical activity in the preclinical phase of dementia would indeed have consequences. The research team actually noticed a decrease in physical activity in the nine years preceding diagnosis in subjects who had developed dementia.
If this study qualifies the effects of sport in a very specific case, Inserm remember all the same that “the practice of sport is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and the prevention of obesity and diabetes”.
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