Physical activity pre- and post-dementia: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

ABSTRACT

Background: To inform public health interventions, further investigation is needed to identify: (1) frequency/intensity of everyday physical activity (PA) needed to reduce dementia risk; (2) whether post-diagnosis reduction in PA is associated with cognitive outcomes in people with dementia.

Methods: Data from 11,391 men and women (aged ≥50) were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing cohort. Assessments were carried out at baseline (2002–2003) and at biannual follow-ups (2004–2013).

Results: Older adults who carried out moderate to vigorous activity at least once per week had a 34%–50% lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia over an 8–10 year follow-up period. From pre- to post-dementia diagnosis, those who decreased PA levels had a larger decrease in immediate recall scores, compared to those who maintained or increased PA levels (analyses were adjusted for changes in physical function).

Conclusion: PA was associated with cognitive outcomes in a dose-dependent manner. Reduction in PA after diagnosis was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and maintaining PA may reduce symptom progression in dementia.

KEYWORDS:

• Alzheimer's disease
• other dementias
• epidemiology (dementia)
• physical activity
• cognitive functioning

Acknowledgments

The data were made available through the UK Data Archive. ELSA was developed by a team of researchers based at the NatCen Social Research, University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The data were collected by NatCen Social Research. The developers and funders of ELSA and the Archive do not bear any responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented here.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is funded by the National Institute on Aging [grant number 2RO1AG7644-01A1], [grant number 2RO1AG017644] and by a Consortium of UK government departments coordinated by the ESRC. This study was carried out as part of PRIDE (PRomoting Independence in DEmentia). PRIDE was funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) [grant number ES/L001802/1]. This research was also possible due to a PhD Studentship funded by Loughborough University.