Exercise Linked to Lower Mortality Risk in Dementia Patients

TOPLINE:
Physical activity of any intensity after a diagnosis of dementia is associated with a significantly lower risk for all-cause mortality, a new study showed. Researchers noted that the findings suggest encouraging regular exercise may significantly improve survival rates in people with dementia.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analyzed data of 60,252 individuals (mean age, 74 years; 39% men) from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database who were diagnosed with dementia between 2010 and 2016.
Participants underwent health examinations both before and after their diagnosis of dementia.
Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form and categorized as light, moderate, and vigorous.
Participants were grouped based on changes in regular activity before and after diagnosis and were followed for all-cause mortality for an average of 3.7 years.
TAKEAWAY:
The mortality rate was 27%. Higher level of physical activity after dementia diagnosis was linked to a dose-dependent decrease in mortality risk (P < .001).
Individuals with all-cause dementia who remained physically active both before and after dementia diagnosis had the lowest mortality risk after adjusting for confounders compared with those who have never engaged in regular exercise (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.65-0.79).
Individuals with all-cause dementia who maintained each intensity of physical activity showed the lowest risk for mortality, regardless of exercise intensity.
The association between physical activity and reduced mortality risk was consistent across types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
IN PRACTICE:
“As dementia cannot be reversed with any medications, a nonpharmacologic approach, such as lifestyle modification, is considered important to modify the progression of dementia. Our study has important public health implications, highlighting the significance of continuous engagement in regular physical activity both before and after the diagnosis of dementia among individuals with all dementia subtypes. Reducing sedentary behavior and promoting engaging in physical activity of any intensity could be recommended for patients with dementia,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Kye-Yeung Park, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea, and Youn Huh, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. It was published online on October 29 in British Journal of Sports Medicine.
LIMITATIONS:
The retrospective cohort design of this study could not eliminate the possibility of reverse causality. The administrative data used for detecting dementia may have differed from the actual diagnoses. The ethnic homogeneity of the study population may have limited the generalizability of the findings to other populations. The lack of data on the type of physical activity, the potential underestimation or misclassification of exercise levels, and potential recall bias were additional limitations of this study.
DISCLOSURES:
This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, Seokchunnanum Foundation, Korea University, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. No conflicts of interest were disclosed.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
 
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