Regular Aerobic Exercise May Slow Progression to Alzheimer's for Those Most at Risk

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found 30 minutes of aerobic exercise four to five times a week may prevent or slow cognitive decline in older adults at a high risk of developing Alzheimer's, reports CNN . The proof-of-concept trial was of people 55 and older with mild cognitive impairment, who were randomized to 12 months of aerobic exercise or stretching and toning. Aerobic exercise was found to yield more benefits on reducing hippocampal contraction than stretching. Although formation of amyloid clumps was not hampered by the regimen, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography revealed that subjects who performed aerobic exercise had slower hippocampal degeneration than those who did flexibility training. "The key positive finding is that the exercise intervention specifically reduced shrinkage of the memory center in the brain in people with the earliest symptomatic stage of Alzheimer's disease," said Weill Cornell Medicine's Richard Isaacson.