Improving one key health measure could cut dementia risk by up to 40%

Keeping your heart and lungs healthy can stave off dementia, even in those with a genetic predisposition, a study suggests.

Researchers looked at the health records of more than 61,000 Britons aged 39 to 70. Some 553 received a dementia diagnosis during a 12-year period.

Those with better cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) – capacity of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to the muscles – scored better on brain function tests and were 40% less likely to be diagnosed.

When looking at only people with a moderate or high genetic risk of developing the condition, risk was still 35% lower for those who were fitter.

Among those diagnosed with dementia, people with high CRF typically experienced onset of symptoms around one and a half years later than those with low fitness.

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The researchers, led by experts at Tianjin Medical University in China, wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “Our study shows that higher CRF is associated with better cognitive function and decreased dementia risk.

“Moreover, high CRF may buffer the impact of genetic risk of all dementia by 35%. Our findings suggest that maintaining favourable CRF could be a strategy for the prevention of dementia, even among people with a high genetic predisposition.”

People with high CRF are also known to have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Activities that can boost it include running, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, boxing and aerobics.

CRF was measured through six-minute exercise tests using a stationary bike, while cognitive function was assessed using tests of memory and thinking skills.

Participants were drawn from the UK Biobank, a scientific trove of data used by researchers across the globe.

The team noted that volunteers who join the Biobank are typically healthier than the general population, so the number of dementia cases may have been underestimated.