Minimum Physical Activities Protective Against Alzheimer’s Disease in Late Life: A Systematic Review
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Introduction
Previous studies indicate an inverse relationship between physical activity (PA) and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While they highlighted the health benefits of PA, the specific effects of PA in late life remain unclear, and intense PA may be challenging for older adults. Moreover, there is significant variation in how PA is assessed, including the timing and types of activities considered.
Objective
This review aims to evaluate existing literature to determine the effects of PA with an emphasis on late life PA and the minimum levels for older adults.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review via PRISMA protocol using MEDLINE and CINAHL databases, last assessed in July 2023. Studies that met inclusion criteria were prospective cohort or interventional studies, written in English, and measured physical activity in a cohort who did not have dementia, AD, or cognitive decline at baseline. Retrospective cohort, cross-sectional, case reports, and studies not meeting the inclusion criteria were excluded. Each study was evaluated in 7 domains of bias using the Robins-E tool.
Results
Out of 2,322 studies screened, 17 met the inclusion criteria, including six new studies not included in the previous systematic review. This resulted in 206,463 participants from North America (United States and Canada) and Europe (Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). Our method effectively reduced the number of duplicated studies during screenings, resulting in 92 duplications compared to 3,580 in the previous review. The risk of bias assessment in the quality of evidence was low risk in 13 studies and some concerns in four studies. Four studies assessed PA at mid-life (average age of 49 and average follow-up time of 29.2 years), 11 studies assessed PA in late life (average age of 75.9 and average follow-up time of 5.9 years), and two assessed PA in adulthood without specification. For studies that assessed PA at mid-life, 2 out of 4 (50%) had statistically significant findings (p < 0.05), for studies that assessed PA during late life, 8 out of 11 (75%) had significant findings (p < 0.05), and 2 out of 2 (100%) of unspecified timing had significant findings (p < 0.05). Our review indicated that engaging in PA at least three times per week, for at least 15 minutes per session, was judged to be the minimum requirement tested for protective effects against AD in late life. Potential biological mechanisms were also discussed.
Conclusion
Our current review supports existing evidence that PA provides significant protection against the development of AD and found that the requirement of PA may be less than the current guidelines for sufficient and meaningful protection in late life. Excitingly, any form of PA tested can be protective against the development of AD, including household activities, suggesting that a wider variety of PA can be more appropriate for late life. More standardized and detailed studies need to update the benefits of PA, particularly in the areas of occupational, household/transportation, and age-group activities. Further research is needed to determine optimal PA thresholds in these groups.
