A recent study shows that popular myths exaggerate the benefits of exercise on the brain.
Two years of testing compared exercise and heart medications to a placebo group.Combining exercise with heart medications did not produce significant cognitive benefits. The literature is full of myths about how to prevent brain aging.
One of most durable is that exercise can delay or prevent the decline in cognitive function that typically comes with normal aging. This week, an article inreported on an experiment to test the claim that cognitive decline can be prevented by exercising regularly or taking standard heart medications. For more than two years, 513 older adults exercised at moderate to vigorous intensity for nearly three hours a week. Another group of older adults did not exercise but took a standard regimen of statins and blood pressure. A third group of older adults did both. Finally, a fourth group did not exercise regularly and did not take the medications, essentially matching the experience of older adults in the US. The study found no significant cognitive benefit from any of it. The study was conducted at four sites across the US. A total of 3290 individuals were screened, and 513 older adults withoutThe main question was whether combining regular aerobic exercise with medications typically used to reduce cardiovascular risk would rescue brain health better than either intervention alone. Statins and blood pressure medications work via different mechanisms, as compared to exercising. The authors initially predicted that the benefits of these two approaches might synergize to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.Battery. After the two-year trial ended, the results showed that the groups doing regular exercise and/or taking the standard medications both improved to the same degree as the older adults who did not exercise or take any medications. The difference between the exercise group and the non-exercise group was statistically indistinguishable. However, as predicted by numerous other studies, the adults who exercised maintained their cardiorespiratory fitness over two years while the control group’s fitness declined. The adults who took the two medications showed reductions in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol; however, they showed a similar decline in cognitive function as the other three groups. These results appear to contradict popular myths on the topic that are full of personal observational studies. Unfortunately, these claims always lack a truegroup. Only randomized trials can demonstrate causality rather than just correlation, and those trials, when properly conducted, do not support popular myths. A recent review of the literature found that the apparent benefits of exercise on cognition largely evaporated after correcting for. The SPRINT MIND trial, which tested intensive blood pressure lowering in a large population, found no statistically significant improvement in cognitive test scores, either; though it did reduce the incidence ofWhat makes this study so relevant is that it was designed to determine whether either intervention could improve or maintain cognitive performance in people who are still cognitively normal, which is most adults in this age range. Future studies involving more subjects are necessary to determine the role of practice effects on cognitive tests, the influence of poor diets, and the presence of biological markers of potential Alzheimer’s risk. The current evidence indicates that regular exercise alone, or medication alone, or the two together, is not enough. If you would like to learn about the various effects exercise has upon the brain,Zhang R, et al., Effects of Exercise and Intensive Vascular Risk Reduction on Cognitive Function in Older Adults. A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.0359Find a Dementia TherapistSelf Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The brain's cleaning system can be boosted to rid Alzheimer's proteinsA duo of drugs that boosts our glympathic system, which clears waste from our brain, also improves the removal of proteins associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease
Read more »
Brain aging results from a loss of control over how genes are regulated, mouse study suggestsRJ Mackenzie is an award-nominated science and health journalist. He has degrees in neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge. He became a writer after deciding that the best way of contributing to science would be from behind a keyboard rather than a lab bench.
Read more »
The Most Common Signs of Brain CancerUnderstand the most prevalent indicators of brain cancer, including seizures and unusual limb sensations, along with expert insights and advice on when to seek medical attention.
Read more »
The Number-1 Sign of Brain Cancer Doctors Want You to KnowEven though it is rare, knowing the number-one sign of brain cancer can help you recognize possible problems before they get worse. Here's what to look for.
Read more »
Mom diagnosed with incurable brain tumor after believing she had early dementia: 'The most devastating thing'Today's Video Headlines: 03/26/26
Read more »
Ideas about the brain are always historically and culturally influenced.Neuroscientists are closing in on a rich new understanding of how the brain is organized.
Read more »