A retrospective cohort study by Korean researchers found that starting or maintaining regular physical activity in patients with dementia reduced the risk of death from all causes. As reported in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, the risk of death was reduced by 25 to 30 percent.
Recent studies show that Alzheimer's disease is the seventh leading cause of death, and that mortality associated with it has increased significantly. Population estimates suggest that the average life expectancy after diagnosis of dementia is 4.5 years.
While it is known that in patients with dementia, physical activity has the potential to slow its onset and progression through its effects on the brain, the relationship between the risk of death and changes in physical activity before and after a diagnosis of dementia remains poorly understood.
To examine this link, a team led by Yong-Moon Mark Park of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences used data from a representative, large-scale cohort of people with dementia in South Korea. Physical activity was measured using the World Health Organization’s International Short Form Physical Activity Questionnaire. The cohort included 60,252 people with dementia (mean age 74.1 years). The main diseases that lead to dementia were Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
A total of 16,431 people died during 3.7 years of follow-up. Survival analysis showed that the chance of survival was increased in people who were regularly physically active (p < 0.001). There was a gradual decrease in the adjusted risk of all-cause death among people with dementia as the level of physical activity, measured as time spent on it per week, increased (for trend, p < 0.001). Overall, people with dementia who remained physically active both before and after the diagnosis of dementia had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality after adjusting for risk factors (relative risk 0.71). However, the risk was also reduced in those who started physical activity after the diagnosis of dementia (relative risk 0.77). However, a decrease in the level of physical activity after diagnosis did not significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death. Exercise intensity had a dose-dependent effect on the risk of all-cause death. According to the scientists, the results of this study show the importance of lifestyle modifications in terms of physical activity in patients with dementia to reduce the risk of death. However, further research is needed to clarify the cause-and-effect relationship of the relationships found. We previously reported that sending emails, being active on social networks and online shopping reduce the risk of developing dementia in older people.