Physical Activity and Dementia in the Elderly

Want to cut the risk of dementia in elderly individuals by 50%? Get them
to move their bodies. In a study published in the Journal of
Gerontology, it was found that in elderly individuals with poor
physical functioning, increasing their physical activity and
functioning conferred a 50% reduced risk of dementia during the 6.1
years of follow-up. Given the millions of elderly with poor physical
functioning who are institutionalized all over the country, the savings
to the medical system through this intervention would be astounding.

"Physical activity, physical function, and incident dementia in elderly
men: the honolulu-Asia aging study," Taaffe DR, White LR, et al, J
Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2008; 63(5): 529-35.