A study of a group of more than 1,200 people from childhood to adulthood showed that those who performed better on physical tests when they were younger showed “better cognition later in life. life “. Scholars from Peninsula Health and Monash University in Australia concluded that staying active as a child “can protect against dementia in later years”. In order to carry out the research, in 1985 the physical condition of the participants, aged between seven and 15, was assessed.
This assessment was based on cardiorespiratory power, muscle strength, and muscular endurance, as well as body size and shape.
They were then monitored between 2017 and 2019, aged between 39 and 50, when their cognitive function was assessed using a series of computerized tests.
These participants were tracked between 2017 and 2019 (between 39 and 50 years, mean age 44) in terms of their cognitive function through a series of computerized tests.
The research, published in this month’s Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, showed that children with the best levels of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, as well as a lower average waist-to-hip ratio, performed better. results in processing tests. speed and attention, and overall cognitive function.
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Cognitive performance in middle age was specifically analyzed, as a decrease, which could indicate the likelihood of dementia later, may begin during middle age.
One of the study’s lead researchers, Associate Professor Michele Callisaya, told Science Daily: “Developing strategies to improve low fitness and lower childhood obesity levels is important because it could contribute to performance improvements. cognitive in middle age.
“It is important that the study also indicates that strategies for protection against future cognitive decline may need to be started from early childhood, so that the brain can develop a sufficient reserve against the development of conditions such as dementia in life. bigger”.
It was also noted that the findings were not affected by academic ability and socioeconomic status in childhood, nor by tobacco and alcohol consumption in the middle of life.
DO NOT MISS
According to NHS Digital, 22.6 per cent of children aged four and five in the UK were overweight or obese in the 2018 school year.
This rises to 34.3 percent in those aged 10 to 11 years.
It also recognizes that rates of childhood obesity are higher in the most disadvantaged 10% of the population, more than double that in the less disadvantaged 10%.
While a Sport England survey in 2019 showed that only 45 per cent of children met the recommended time or more of physical activity per day by the medical director.
There are some early signs that you may be at risk for dementia.
This includes:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- you find it difficult to carry out daily family tasks, such as confusing yourself with the right change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- be confused about time and place
- mood swings
The NHS recommends talking to your GP if you are concerned about any of these symptoms.