Latest Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study:
Walking Improves Cognitive Functions in Older Women
Older women who are more active have a 20 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment
Boston - Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that women aged 70 years and older who exercised regularly - including walking at an easy pace for at least 1.5 hours per week - appeared to have a lower risk of cognitive impairment than counterparts who were inactive. Women who engaged in the most activity - for example, walking at least 6 hours per week - had a 20 percent decrease in risk of cognitive impairment compared to those who were inactive and, also demonstrated the cognitive functioning of someone three-years younger than their actual age. The findings are published in the September 22, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“Walking is a popular, accessible and inexpensive activity for older adults that appears to provide many health benefits. In addition to studies showing a reduced risk of heart disease, pulmonary disease and diabetes, a moderate level of walking also appeared to reduce the rate of cognitive decline in our study,” said lead author Jennifer Weuve, ScD of HSPH. “What is most striking is that for older women who are able to engage in several hours per week of physical activity, their cognitive function seemed to be comparable to that of a woman several years younger.”
Weuve, senior author BWH’s Fran Grodstein, ScD and colleagues analyzed the data from 18,766 US women, aged 70 to 81 years from the Nurses’ Health Study. Women were assessed twice, two years apart on general cognition, verbal memory, category fluency and attention. The researchers found that women who were more active and participated in activities that ranged from walking at an easy pace to jogging, realized less cognitive decline than women who were not active. In addition, researchers found that the more active the individual, the better their cognitive performance and the less decline they seemed to have.
According to Weuve, “This is one of the first studies to explore the specific link between walking and cognitive function. The health benefits of walking are becoming well-established and should provide older people with additional evidence to help encourage them to engage in walking or another form of physical activity.”
Adults aged 65 years and older are the fastest growing population in the United States and are at a high risk for dementia. Monitoring cognitive functioning and reducing risk factors associated with dementia are imperative to slowing its development.
Please contact BWH Media Relations for more information at (617) 534-1600 or BWHMediaRelations@partners.org
Brigham and Women's Hospital is a 747-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare System, an integrated health care delivery network. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. The BWH medical preeminence dates back to 1832 and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, dedication to educating and training health care professionals, and strength in biomedical research. With $370M in funding and more than 500 research scientists, BWH is an acclaimed leader in clinical, basic and epidemiological investigation - including the landmark Nurses Health Study, Physicians Health Studies, and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information about BWH, please visit: www.brighamandwomens.org.
Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 300 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 900-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights. For more information on the school visit: www.hsph.harvard.edu
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