Exercise and cognition: results from the National Long Term Care Survey.
BACKGROUND
Age remains a robust risk factor for Alzheimer's disease as well as other dementias. Therefore, the aging of the population in the United States will result in dramatic increases in the prevalence of dementia if preventative interventions are not identified. The aim of this study was to examine potential associations between exercise and lowering the risk of cognitive impairment.


METHODS
National Long Term Care Survey data were used. Level of exercise participation was measured at baseline (1994) and cognitive impairment status was measured at baseline and 5- and 10-year follow-up. Linear regression was performed, controlling for age, sex, education, baseline score on cognitive test, diabetes, and hypertension.


RESULTS
At 10-year follow-up, the number of different types of exercises performed was inversely associated with the onset of cognitive impairment (P = .002) as was the number of exercise sessions lasting at least 20 minutes (P = .007).


CONCLUSIONS
Study results from National Long Term Care Survey data provide evidence supporting the potential for exercise to lower the risk of dementia.
The Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA. jedrzmk@mail.med.upenn.edu
M Kathryn
MK
Jedrziewski
Douglas C
DC
Ewbank
Haidong
H
Wang
John Q
JQ
Trojanowski
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013995:Time; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology