Older people who regularly partake in moderate to intense exercise may be at a lower risk of suffering a so-called “silent stroke,” according to a new study.
The small brain lesions are associated with an increased risk of falls and impaired mobility, memory problems and even dementia, researchers at Columbia University in New York said.
The study involved 1,238 people who had never had a stroke. The participants were asked how often and how intensely they exercised at the beginning of the study and then were given MRI scans of their brains six years later when they were about 70 years old.
Forty three percent of the participants reported no regular exercise, 36 percent regularly engaged in light exercise such as golf, walking, bowling or dancing, and 21 percent regularly engaged in activities that included hiking, tennis, swimming, biking, jogging or racquetball.
The MRIs showed that 197 of the participants, or 16 percent, had small brain lesions.
Moderate and intense exercisers were 40 percent less likely to have the lesions than those who reported no exercise. The researchers took into account other heart-risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
A full report on the study is published in the June 8 edition of the journal Neurology
The small brain lesions are associated with an increased risk of falls and impaired mobility, memory problems and even dementia, researchers at Columbia University in New York said.The study involved 1,238 people who had never had a stroke. The participants were asked how often and how intensely they exercised at the beginning of the study and then were given MRI scans of their brains six years later when they were about 70 years old.
Forty three percent of the participants reported no regular exercise, 36 percent regularly engaged in light exercise such as golf, walking, bowling or dancing, and 21 percent regularly engaged in activities that included hiking, tennis, swimming, biking, jogging or racquetball.
The MRIs showed that 197 of the participants, or 16 percent, had small brain lesions.
Moderate and intense exercisers were 40 percent less likely to have the lesions than those who reported no exercise. The researchers took into account other heart-risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
A full report on the study is published in the June 8 edition of the journal Neurology
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