Physical activity of any intensity after a diagnosis of dementia is associated with around a 30% lower risk of death, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine . The findings prompt the researchers to conclude that those affected should be encouraged to keep up or start an exercise routine , especially as average life expectancy after a diagnosis of dementia may be only around four to five years. Previously published research has linked physical activity with a lower risk of death in people with the disease, but these studies have focused on a single point in time.
So it's not clear if changes in the amount or intensity of physical activity before and after diagnosis might be influential, say the researchers. To explore this further, they drew on data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database, involving 60,252 people newly diagnosed with dementia between 2010 and 2016 who had undergone health check-ups two years before and after their diagnosis. The average age of the participants was 74, and 43,276 (72%) of them had Alzheimer's disease and 7,536 (12.
5%) had vascular dementia . Physical activity was assessed at each of the check-ups using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Exercise, such as running, aerobics, fast cycling and climbing for more than 20 minutes was defined as vigorous intensity; moderate intensity included fast walking, doubles tennis, and cycling at a regular pace for more .
