Genetic Predisposition to Dementia?

High levels of physical fitness can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 35%1 2 3 4 5. Even in people with a genetic predisposition for dementia, improved cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better cognitive function1 3 5. These 5 lifestyle habit changes improved brain function for those with early Alzheimer’s

What’s the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer’s?

Story by Judy George

Genetic Predisposition to Dementia? High Fitness May Be Your Shield.

“To the world, you might be one person, but to one person, you might be the world”

Genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia appeared to be partly offset by high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, U.K. Biobank data suggested.

Overall, high cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with better global and domain-specific cognitive functions and lower risk of dementia in both middle-age and older adults, reported Weili Xu, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and co-authors.

The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of all-cause dementia was 0.60 (95% CI 0.48-0.76) for high versus low cardiorespiratory fitness.

Dementia onset was delayed by 1.48 years (95% CI 0.58- 2.39) in the high fitness group.

Among people with moderate or high genetic dementia risk scores, high cardiorespiratory fitness attenuated dementia risk by 35% (IRR 0.65, 95% CI 0.52-0.83) compared with low fitness, Xu and colleagues said in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Cardiorespiratory fitness may be used as a predictor of cognitive health,” the researchers stated. “Enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness could be a strategy for the prevention of dementia, even among people with a high genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease.”

No study to date has explored the combined effect of cardiorespiratory fitness and genetic risk on dementia, Xu and colleagues pointed out. “Open questions remain regarding whether and to what extent favorable cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce dementia risk, even in those with a high genetic predisposition for dementia,” they noted.

In this analysis, the researchers followed 61,214 dementia-free U.K. Biobank participants ages 39-70 for a median of 11.72 years.

Mean baseline age was 56 and 52% of participants were female.

A 6-minute submaximal exercise test on a stationary bike was completed at study enrollment (from 2006 through 2010) to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. Fitness scores were divided into low, moderate, and high tertiles, standardized by age and sex.

Global and domain-specific cognitive function was evaluated at baseline. Dementia was identified over the follow-up period using medical history and medical records. Genetic predisposition for dementia was estimated using polygenic risk scores for Alzheimer’s disease derived from genome-wide association studies.

During the follow-up period which spanned to 12 years, 553 people (0.9%) received a diagnosis of dementia. High cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a lower risk of dementia and a delay in the onset of dementia across middle and older ages.

In multi-adjusted linear regression models, higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with better global cognitive function, prospective memory, verbal/numeric memory, and processing speed in all participants. The association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function was consistent in different age and genetic risk groups.

“Future research on the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health, especially in older adults, is warranted, and the mechanisms by which cardiorespiratory fitness modifies the relationship between genetic risk and dementia deserve further investigation,” Xu and colleagues observed.

“As the measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical settings becomes both important and feasible, cardiorespiratory fitness may be used as a routine health monitoring tool or an indicator of health conditions,” they added.

The study was observational and cannot determine causality. Also, U.K. Biobank participants often are healthier than the general population, the researchers acknowledged.

U.K. Biobank participants with certain health conditions — such as chest pain at rest, high weight, high blood pressure, or a pacemaker — were excluded from the exercise test, which may have influenced outcomes. The submaximal exercise test used in this study is considered less accurate than maximal exercise testing which requires participants to exercise to exhaustion, Xu and co-authors said.

In addition, incident dementia cases were determined through register information, which might have led to an underestimation. Most participants did not have repeated cardiorespiratory fitness measurements, and relationships between changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and dementia risk could not be determined.

This research was supported by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Council for Health Working Life and Welfare, and the Karolinska Institutet Research Foundation.

Xu and co-authors reported no conflicts of interest.

People who have a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease may lower their risk of developing the illness with a workout routine, according to a new report. The study found that men and women with high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in middle age and beyond were 35 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia in old age compared to their less fit peers. The benefits of exercise were particularly pronounced in those at increased genetic risk of Alzheimer’s because they carried the APOE-E4 gene variant or other genetic factors that predispose to the disease.

“Enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness could be a strategy for the prevention of dementia, even among people with a high genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease,” the authors stated. The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

For the study, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and other medical centers analyzed health records from 61,214 men and women who were part of the UK Biobank, a database containing in-depth genetic and medical information from half a million British citizens over many years. They ranged in age from 39 to 70 at the start of the study period, from 2006 to 2010.

At the beginning of the study period, participants underwent a six-minute fitness test on a stationary bicycle to assess their cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of the ability of the heart, blood and lungs to supply oxygen to muscles during physical exertion. They were grouped into low, medium or high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, standardized according to their age and sex.

Researchers assessed individuals’ genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to standard research-based DNA analyses of genes linked to the disease. Participants also underwent tests of memory and thinking skills to assess their cognitive health. All were free of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia when the study began.

Participants were followed for about 12 years, including with follow-up cognitive tests. During that time, 553 of them developed Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

The researchers found that overall, the more aerobically fit someone was in middle age, the better their cognitive health was more than a decade later. Cardiorespiratory fitness seemed to benefit multiple facets of memory, such as recalling specific words, names and numbers or remembering specific tasks, such as making an appointment.

The greatest benefits were observed in individuals with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s. Those with the highest levels of cardiorespiratory fitness had a 35 percent lower relative risk of developing the disease compared to their least fit peers. Aerobic fitness delayed the onset of dementia by the equivalent of about one-and-a-half years, the researchers found.

“Our study shows that higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better cognitive function and decreased dementia risk,” the authors concluded. “Moreover, high cardiorespiratory fitness may buffer the impact of genetic risk of all dementia by 35 percent”

The study was observational and cannot prove cause and effect. But it involved a large study population, and earlier research has shown that greater cardiorespiratory fitness is linked to a lower risk of serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke or cancer and a lower risk of dying young.

Cardiorespiratory fitness declines by around 3 percent to 6 percent per decade when we are in our 20s and 30s, but the decline accelerates to more than 20 percent per decade by the time we reach our70s.

Experts say the best way to help minimize cardiorespiratory decline as we age is by choosing an activity you enjoy, such as walking, running, biking or a dance or spin class, and to do it regularly for at least half an hour several days a week. Aim to perform the activity at a fairly rigorous level, in which it would be difficult to hold a conversation with a friend. You can also mix it up, aiming for brief periods of high-intensity exercise amid longer periods of lower intensity exertion.

If you’re just getting started, see your doctor to make sure the exercise plan is right for you. And don’t forget other lifestyle factors that can promote brain health, including a heart-healthy diet and a good night’s sleep.

By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by Eric Schmidt, Ph.D. Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.

Source: Shuqi Wang, Liuao Xu, Wenzhe Yang, et al: “Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with dementia risk across different levels of genetic predisposition: a large community-based longitudinal study” British Journal of Sports Medicine, November 19, 2024

Genetic Predisposition to Dementia? High Fitness May Be Your Shield – Search Videos

genetic predisposition to dementia? high fitness may be your shield – Search Images

Genetic Predisposition to Dementia?

High Fitness May Be Your Shield | Watch

Improving your cardiorespiratory fitness through regular exercise may be a key strategy in preventing dementia, regardless of genetic risk factors. 8 Natural Supplements and Methods for a Better Night’s Sleep

New Cancer Cure Using Car-T Cells “A promising cancer treatment using CAR-T cells is introduced – Search Videos

Should you sleep in socks? Experts say this hack might be the secret to falling asleep faster and waking up less

Network-based analyses uncover how neuroinflammation-causing microglia in Alzheimer’s disease form

7 simple ways my diet and routines have changed since I started interviewing experts about longevity

Immune complex removes receptors from stem cells to protect against cancer, preclinical study finds

Researchers find previously unknown links between microbial bile acids and the risk of colon cancer

Doctors Recommend These Self-Care Practices For People Living With The Autoimmune Disease

How to Focus: 9 Science-Backed Ways to Block Out the Noise and Improve Your Concentration

How Did Native Americans Brave Harsh Winters? Here’s the Survival Foods They Relied On

The three heart conditions that raise your dementia risk – and how to protect against them

Experimental drug shows promise in reversing memory loss for early Alzheimer’s patients

Focused ultrasound shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s by reducing amyloid plaques