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| |  AAN MEETING: Regular Physical Activity May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- April 29, 1998 -- Regular exercise may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study released during the American Academy of Neurology's 50th anniversary annual meeting this week in Minneapolis, MN. The study involved 373 people -- 126 with Alzheimer's disease and 247 healthy individuals. All individuals completed a questionnaire on their exercise patterns from the ages of 20 to 59, before onset of the disease. "The healthy individuals reported significantly more physical activity over the four decades than those with Alzheimer's disease," said neurologist Arthur Smith, MD, clinical research fellow at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. "The results suggest that lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease." Smith considered jogging, biking, golf, weight training, ice skating, racquetball, tennis and swimming in his analysis. Each activity was given a rating based on intensity. Then an exercise score was developed for each individual by multiplying that rating for their activities by the number of hours they engaged in each activity per month. The findings on exercise are in accord with previous studies from Cleveland showing that mental, physical and social activities are protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to neurologist Robert Friedland, MD, of Case Western Reserve University. The university has studies underway in Cleveland, Kenya and Israel on activities, diet, genes and other related risk and protective factors in Alzheimer's disease, he said. Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating, life-altering disease that attacks the brain. Its primary symptom is progressive memory loss, but difficulties with vision, language skills and emotional control are also common. Alzheimer's disease affects about four million people in this country and it is the most common cause of dementia in the United States and Europe. The number of individuals affected by Alzheimer's will likely double by the year 2030, Smith said.
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