Physical Fitness Protects Against Alzheimer's?

A recent study indicates that more physically fit people are less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease related brain shrinkage than their less fit counterparts. Researchers from the University of Kansas at Kansas City evaluated volunteers with and without early stage dementia using treadmill fitness tests and MRI brain scans. The results were adjusted to account for differences in sex, dementia severity, levels of physical activity, and physical frailty. However, it remains to be determined whether a lack of physical fitness promotes progression to Alzheimer’s or whether early dementia contributes to a decline in physical fitness.