Keeping active may help to prevent age-related metal decline, say Dutch researchers. Dr Albertine J Schuit and colleagues studied 347 men with an average of 75 to investigate the impact of physical exercise on cognitive function. The participants were questioned about exercise and their mental function was assessed. Each man was also tested for the so-called Alzheimer’s gene ApoE-4. Results showed that men who exercised for an hour or less each day were 2-times more likely to have impaired mental function compared to those who exercised for more than an hour each day. The link between inactivity and cognitive decline was especially strong in men who possessed the ApoE-4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, with the risk of mental decline among the least active being almost 4-times higher.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2001; 33:772-777
