Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients Reduce 'Early Dementia' Risk by 18% Through Exercise

Research by Professors Johanna Cho and Chulhyung Ryu, Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital

Johanna, Professor Ryu Cheol-hyung

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] A study has found that even if diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, an intermediate stage before dementia, consistent exercise can reduce the likelihood of progressing to early dementia.

The research team led by Professors Jo Hanna and Ryu Cheol-hyung from the Department of Neurology at Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital noted the importance of lifestyle modifications, including exercise, in the field of degenerative brain diseases. They examined the exercise habits of a group diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and confirmed this finding on the 4th. The team analyzed data from 247,149 individuals with mild cognitive impairment who participated in the National Health Insurance survey over six years from 2009 to 2015, investigating the correlation between exercise and progression to dementia, as well as the influence of the continuity and regularity of physical activity.

The research team divided the subjects into four groups based on exercise habits: ▲ no exercise before or after mild cognitive impairment diagnosis ▲ started exercising after mild cognitive impairment diagnosis ▲ stopped exercising after mild cognitive impairment diagnosis ▲ continued exercising regardless of mild cognitive impairment diagnosis. The exercise criterion set by the team was ‘moderate to high-intensity physical activity for at least 10 minutes once a week.’

As a result, the group that consistently exercised before and after the mild cognitive impairment diagnosis had the lowest rate of progression to Alzheimer’s dementia. Compared to the group that did not exercise at all, consistent exercise reduced the risk of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s dementia by 18%.

Among the consistent exercise group, 2,742 out of 56,664 individuals (4.8%) progressed to Alzheimer’s dementia. In contrast, 8,658 out of 99,873 individuals (8.7%) who did not exercise before or after the mild cognitive impairment diagnosis developed Alzheimer’s dementia.

The group that started exercising after the mild cognitive impairment diagnosis included 45,598 individuals, with 2,888 (6.3%) progressing to Alzheimer’s dementia, while the group that stopped exercising after diagnosis included 45,014 individuals, with 3,445 (7.7%) progressing.

Professor Jo stated, “This study is significant as it goes beyond previous findings that lifestyle modifications such as exercise reduce the probability of mild cognitive impairment patients progressing to early dementia. It reveals that whether exercise is initiated and maintained after a dementia diagnosis is associated with the progression to Alzheimer’s dementia in mild cognitive impairment patients. It also reaffirms that consistent exercise promotes brain nerve cell development and cognitive function improvement.”

This research was published under the title “The Impact of Exercise on Dementia Prevention in a Large Domestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Cohort” in the renowned international journal on Alzheimer’s dementia, Alzheimers Research & Therapy.

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