Sedentary Lifestyle Tied to Smaller Brains, Study Shows
A new study published in the Neurology journal found that poor fitness in middle age to smaller brains almost 20 years later. These findings suggest that health and lifestyle choices can have a big effect many years later, basically shrinking the brains of “couch potatoes.”
The study involved 1,094 participants who didn’t have heart disease, stroke or dementia when the research began. They also weren’t taking meds called beta blockers to lower their blood pressure. For the study, the participants took an exercise treadmill test between 1979 and 1983 to allow the researchers could give a score for their estimated fitness level. The participants exercised with increasing speed and a steeper incline until they were too exhausted to continue, or if they reached 85% of their estimated maximum heart rate.
Couch Potato & Brain Health
Around two decades later, participants did a shorter version of the treadmill test along with brain function testing and an MRI scan to measure brain volume.
Surprisingly, those with higher heart rates or higher diastolic blood pressure during the treadmill test had smaller brains later in life.
"Our results suggest that fitness may be especially important for people with pre-hypertension or hypertension [high blood pressure], in order to slow the brain aging process in later life,” says researcher Nicole Spartano, PhD, from the Boston University School of Medicine.
"Over the course of a lifetime, improved blood flow may have an impact on brain aging and prevent cognitive decline in older age."S
The study highlights the importance of physical activity in middle age to promote the grey matter of the brain as a person gets older.
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