Is it true that the more physically fit you are, the less likely you are to develop dementia? Can you explain the connection?

Research from Sweden published in March 2018 found that women who were highly physically fit in midlife were almost 90 percent less likely to develop dementia than women whose fitness was considered moderately good. This was the conclusion a study that originally tested the fitness of 191 women between the ages of 38 and 60. In 1968, researchers from the University of Gothenburg asked the women to cycle on a stationary bike until they became exhausted. Of those participating, 20 started the exercise task but couldn’t complete it due to high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems. Over the next 44 years, the researchers found that 45 percent of these women developed dementia. When this data was pooled with the 39 other women with “low fitness,” the percentage dropped to 32 while 25 percent of the 92 women whose fitness was rated “medium” after the bike test were diagnosed with the disease. However, only five percent of the 40 women who completed the test and were considered in the “high fitness” category developed dementia, and when they did, it was diagnosed an average of 11 years later, showing up around age 90 rather than 79 as it did among the moderately fit women.

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