The Radiological Society of North America released the results of a study indicating walking may slow mental decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as healthy individuals.
The 20-year study analyzed the relationship between physical activity and brain structure in 426 people, including 299 healthy adults,127 cognitively impaired adults, and 127 adults with MCI or Alzheimer’s dementia.
The findings showed greater amounts of physical activity were associated with ample brain volume. Dr. Cyrus Raji says, “We found that walking five miles per week protects the brain structure over 10 years in people with Alzheimer’s and MCI, especially in areas of the brain’s key memory and learning centers,” he commented. “We also found that these people had a slower decline in memory loss over five years.”
The RSNA cites a statistic from the National Institute on Aging, which revealed between 2.4 million and 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and the number is expected to increase greatly over the next 10 years.
Those who have the disease rely on health insurance so they can pay for their medical treatment, which shows the financial security it provides when people need it most.
