Aerobic exercise limits risk of Alzheimer’s in vulnerable adults

Adults with familial and genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease who underwent regular aerobic exercise had better cardiorespiratory fitness, improved executive functioning and significantly different brain glucose metabolism in the Alzheimer’s-associated posterior cingulate cortex region, compared with those with less physical activity, according to a study in the journal Brain Plasticity. The findings indicate “that a lifestyle behavior — regular aerobic exercise — can potentially enhance brain and cognitive functions that are particularly sensitive to the disease,” said lead researcher Ozioma Okonkwo.