Mixed
High cardiovascular fitness in midlife is associated with an 88% reduced risk of all-cause dementia and a delayed dementia onset by 9.5 years compared to medium fitness.
Focus on building cardiovascular fitness (aerobic capacity) during midlife (ages 40-60). This study suggests that high fitness levels measured objectively (e.g., via cycling tests) are strongly associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia later in life and a delayed onset of symptoms. While this study is observational and not causal, it supports prioritizing cardiovascular health in midlife as a potential strategy for long-term brain health.
Compared with medium fitness, the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause dementia during the 44-year follow-up was 0.12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03–0.54) among those with high fitness... High fitness delayed age at dementia onset by 9.5 years and time to dementia onset by 5 years compared to medium fitness.
Why this rating
Longitudinal observational study with 44-year follow-up and objective fitness testing, but explicitly non-causal.
Source
Midlife cardiovascular fitness and dementia
Helena Hörder et al. · Neurology · 2018
DOI 10.1212/wnl.0000000000005290
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