They studied 876 adults of an average age of 78 years, drawn from the multisite Cardiovascular Health Study. The patients' conditions ranged from normal cognition to Alzheimer's dementia, according to an UCLA statement.
"We had 20 years of clinical data on this group, including body mass index and lifestyle habits," Raji said. "We drew our patients from four sites across the country, and we were able to assess energy output in the form of kilocalories per week."
The lifestyle factors examined included recreational sports, gardening and yard work, bicycling, dancing and riding exercise cycle.
"The areas of the brain that benefited from an active lifestyle are the ones that consume the most energy and are very sensitive to damage," Raji added.
