Physical activity and healthy blood sugar levels during midlife may be linked to slower cognitive decline later in life, according to new research from UT Health San Antonio.
The study, published July 23 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, looked at 402 adults in San Antonio. About 52% of the participants were Hispanic and the rest were non-Hispanic white, with a mean age of 57.9.
Researchers found that the association was different by ethnicity. Among Hispanic participants, physical activity was tied to slower cognitive decline, while lower fasting blood glucose was associated with slower decline among non-Hispanic white participants.
Claudia Satizabal, PhD, said improving cardiovascular health through lifestyle changes could help reduce the public health burden of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, particularly in high-risk groups. The study focused on cardiovascular health in midlife because prior research has linked those factors to brain aging and dementia risk.
The analysis used data from the San Antonio Heart Study and the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. Researchers measured cognitive ability up to four times with the Mini-Mental State Examination and adjusted for factors including age, sex, income and education.
