TORONTO - More than one in seven cases of Alzheimer's disease
could be prevented if all Canadians who are currently inactive
were to start getting regular physical activity — even if it's
just taking brisk walks in 10-minute increments a few times a
day, a new report suggests. A report by the Ontario Brain
Institute suggests regular physical activity can not only help
people with Alzheimer's or other dementias better manage their
disease, but it also can significantly delay onset of dementia
and even prevent it. The report is based on a review of almost
900 studies from the last 50 years that examined the
relationship between physical activity and Alzheimer's — a
disease that affects more than 500,000 Canadians and is
predicted to hit a million-plus within a generation. "This is
the strongest evidence to date that physical activity makes a
significant difference to the management and the development of
Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Donald Stuss, president and
scientific director of the Ontario Brain Institut