Physical activity of any intensity associated with lower risk of death after diagnosis of dementia

Any vigorous physical activity after a diagnosis of dementia is associated with a 30% risk of death, finds research published online. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The findings have led the researchers to conclude that those affected should be encouraged to continue or start an exercise routine, especially as the average life expectancy after a diagnosis of dementia can be years. only four to five.

Previously published studies have linked physical activity to a lower risk of death in people with the disease, but these studies have focused on one point at a time. So it’s not clear whether changes in the amount or intensity of exercise before and after the test would have an impact, say the researchers.

To test this further, they took data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database, which includes 60,252 people newly diagnosed with dementia between 2010 and 2016 who had been assessed. healthy for two years before and after diagnosis.

The average age of the participants was 74, and 43,276 (72%) of them had Alzheimer’s disease and 7,536 (12.5%) had dementia.

Physical activity was assessed at each visit using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF).

Exercise, such as running, aerobics, fast cycling and climbing for more than 20 minutes was defined as vigorous intensity; moderate intensity included brisk walking, double tennis, and cycling at a moderate pace for more than 30 minutes; light intensity included activities, such as walking for more than 30 minutes.

Regular physical activity was defined as vigorous-intensity exercise three or more times per week, for at least 20 minutes, or moderate-intensity exercise five or more times per week, for at least minutes of the 30th.

Participants were divided according to changes in regular exercise in the two years before and after their diagnosis: non-exercisers (78%; 47,050); dropouts (just over 10%; 6,212); beginners (8%; 4,801); and caregivers (just over 3.5%; 2,189).

During the total monitoring period of almost four years to the end of 2019, 16,431 participants (27%) died.

Regular physical activity before and after a diagnosis of dementia was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death, regardless of the type of dementia.

And higher levels of physical activity after diagnosis were associated with a reduction in the risk of death that was quantitatively, but not strongly, dependent.

Compared to being inactive, maintaining an exercise routine was associated with a 29% lower risk of death. If this was a milder force, the risk was 30% lower. The risk reduction for moderate and vigorous activity was, respectively, 26% and 30%.

And any vigorous exercise after diagnosis was associated with at least a 20% lower risk of death.

When physical activity was considered as a continuous variable, the risk of death decreased by 3% for each weekly increase of 100 MET—the equivalent of adding five brisk walks five days a week-with exercise after being diagnosed with all types of ‘dementia’.

METs describe the amount of energy (calories) expended per minute of physical activity, compared to the amount of energy expended at rest.

This is an observational study, so it cannot determine causation. And the researchers believe their findings may be due to regression, where those with less dementia and fewer functional limitations may be able to remain active. lines. Information on the type of physical activity they say is also not available.

However, the researchers say, “Building on the established protective effect of [physical activity] against all-cause mortality, our study suggests that even at low levels, [physical activity] it can significantly reduce the risk of death in people with dementia.”

They conclude that, “Our study highlights the clinical importance of encouraging people with dementia to maintain or start exercise, regardless of its intensity, after their diagnosis.”