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Trajectory of physical activity and risk of dementia: A national‐based cohort study
Author(s) -
Feter Natan,
Leite Jayne S,
Smith Emily,
Coombes Jeff,
Rombaldi Airton
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.041333
Subject(s) - dementia , medicine , overweight , body mass index , demography , cohort , stroke (engine) , logistic regression , cohort study , gerontology , longitudinal study , disease , mechanical engineering , sociology , engineering , pathology
Background Dementia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Physical activity (PA) appears as an alternative approach to reduce the burden of this disease especially among older adults. We aimed to identify the effect of changes in PA status among older adults on risk of dementia. Methods We analyzed data from wave 1 (2002‐2003) to wave 8 (2016‐2018) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. PA level were categorized in sedentary, low, moderate, and high. We only considered dementia diagnosed from wave 2 (2004‐2005) to wave 8. The probability of being diagnosed with all‐cause dementia was calculated using multiple logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, educational level, economic status, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. Results Among 12,099 participants at baseline, the mean age of 60.1 ±10.5 years, 55.9% were female, and 69.1% were classified as overweight or obese. Also, 65.7% were at moderate or high PA categories at baseline. Between the second and the latest wave, 571 (2.1%) individuals were diagnosed with any type of dementia, with difference between education level (p<0.001), economic status (p<0.001), and age (p<0.001). No statistical difference was reported between sex (p=0.112) and BMI groups (p=0.378). Participants who were sedentary or had low level of PA at baseline but became physically active at moderate or high level in the latest wave had 81.4% (95%CI: 0.04‐0.80; p=0.02) lower odds of being diagnosed with dementia compared to those who kept sedentary behavior between the two periods. Also, a protective effect was observed between those participants who sustained PA practice during cohort period (OR=0.24; 95%CI: 0.12‐0.50; p<0.001). There was no observed protective effect for participants that were physically active at baseline and became sedentary or had reduced level of PA at wave 8 (OR=1.34; 95%CI: 0.79‐2.28; p=0.272). Conclusions Physically active behavior is associated with decreased risk for all‐cause dementia even if started at later stages of life. Our findings highlight the importance of PA promotion for older adults as a low‐cost and non‐pharmacological approach to protect against all‐cause dementia.