Professor Joanne Ryan, senior author and head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research unit in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash, said the results suggest that body composition—and fat distribution in particular—may play a critical role in brain health as we age.
“Our findings suggest that increased body weight in older age may confer protective effects on brain aging, regardless of body composition. However, abdominal adiposity may still be a risk factor for cognitive impairment in older individuals, particularly in men,” Professor Ryan said.
“These findings suggest that avoiding excess fat accumulation in the abdominal area and maintaining a balance between lean and fat mass may be beneficial to cognitive function in older age. Lifestyle strategies, such as a healthy diet and regular exercise, likely play a role in protecting brain health for older individuals.”
It should be noted that excess body weight, especially in midlife, is considered a risk factor for numerous health conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which in turn are risk factors for dementia and cancer.
Fortunately, there is a way to both reduce belly fat and further lower the risk of dementia—and it doesn’t require hours at the gym.
According to recent research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, just 35 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week may significantly help prevent dementia.
The study drew on data from 89,667 adults, mostly aged 50 and older, who wore wrist accelerometers for one week between February 2013 and December 2015 to track their physical activity.
The participants were followed for an average of 4.4 years, with health status monitored through November 2021. During this time, 735 participants were diagnosed with dementia.
The researchers compared those who engaged in some level of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week with those who didn’t, adjusting for age and other health conditions. The results showed a clear link between higher activity and lower dementia risk.
Participants in the lowest activity group (1–34.9 minutes per week) saw a 41 per cent reduction in dementia risk. As physical activity increased, the risk of dementia dropped even more: 60 per cent lower for those engaging in 35–69.9 minutes per week, 63 per cent lower for those with 70–139.9 minutes, and 69 per cent lower for those exercising 140 minutes or more per week.
The study’s lead author Amal Wanigatunga, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology said the “findings suggest that increasing physical activity, even as little as five minutes per day, can reduce dementia risk in older adults.”
“This adds to a growing body of evidence that some exercise is better than nothing, especially with regard to an aging-related disorder that affects the brain that currently has no cure,” Wanigatunga said.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.