title: The association between physical activity and dementia in an elderly population: the Rotterdam Study.
abstract: Several studies have associated physical activity with the risk of dementia, but mostly did so during short follow-up. It remains unclear whether physical activity also affects dementia during longer follow-up. We examined the association between physical activity and risk of dementia during a follow-up period up to 14 years. From 1997 to 1999, physical activity was assessed using a validated questionnaire in 4,406 elderly persons (age range 61-97) from the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study. Follow-up for dementia was complete until January 1, 2011. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association between physical activity and incident dementia. Next, we stratified follow-up time using a cut-off of 4 years. We separately investigated dementia due to Alzheimer disease. During 38,631 person-years, 583 participants developed dementia. When adjusting for age and sex, we found a borderline significant association between higher physical activity and lower risk of dementia (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.87-1.04). This association was confined to follow-up up to 4 years (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.71-0.95), and not to follow-up of at least 4 years (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.93-1.16). Additional adjustments only slightly attenuated the associations. A similar pattern was present for Alzheimer disease. We found a higher level of physical activity to be associated with a lower risk of dementia. This association was confined to follow-up for up to 4 years and not to longer follow-up, suggesting either a role for reverse causality or only a short term effect of late-life physical activity in an elderly population.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Renée F A G
authors: RF
authors: de Bruijn
authors: Elisabeth M C
authors: EM
authors: Schrijvers
authors: Karen A
authors: KA
authors: de Groot
authors: Jacqueline C M
authors: JC
authors: Witteman
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Hofman
authors: Oscar H
authors: OH
authors: Franco
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Koudstaal
authors: Mohammad Arfan
authors: MA
authors: Ikram
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
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