A NEW study in the UK Biobank suggests that high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can significantly reduce dementia risk and delay its onset, even in individuals with a genetic predisposition to the condition. This research, conducted on 61,214 participants aged 39–70, tracked cognitive health and dementia incidence over a 12-year period.
The study utilized a 6-minute stationary bike test to assess CRF, categorizing participants into low, moderate, and high fitness levels. At the study’s outset, individuals with higher CRF demonstrated superior cognitive function compared to their lower-CRF counterparts. Over the follow-up period, 553 participants developed dementia.
Key findings revealed that individuals with high CRF had a 40% lower risk of developing dementia (IRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48–0.76) compared to those with low CRF. Moreover, high fitness levels delayed dementia onset by approximately 1.5 years. Even among those with moderate or high genetic risk, high CRF reduced dementia risk by 35% (IRR 0.65, 95% CI 0.52–0.83).
These results highlight the protective effects of physical fitness, underscoring its potential to counteract genetic predisposition and improve overall cognitive health.
For healthcare professionals, the study reinforces the importance of promoting physical activity as a preventive measure, particularly in patients at higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Reference: Wang S et al. Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with dementia risk across different levels of genetic predisposition: a large community-based longitudinal study. BJSM. 2024. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-108048.
