ABSTRACT
This study examined 5-year changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary time in mid-to-late aged adults. Fifty-seven participants completed baseline and follow-up treadmill exercise tests and physical activity monitoring. We observed a 14% decline in fitness (p < 0.001), 12% decrease in physical activity (p = 0.010), and non-significant increase in sedentary time (p = 0.196). Age was negatively associated with 5-year change in physical activity (r = -0.31; p = 0.02) and this decline was strongest among APOE ε4 carriers (g = -0.75). Novelty: Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity significantly declined from mid-to-late adulthood, these findings were most pronounced among older adults and those with genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Subject(s)
Cardiorespiratory Fitness , Exercise/trends , Sedentary Behavior , Accelerometry , Aged , Apolipoprotein E4/blood , Exercise Test , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) may mitigate Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. This study examined the longitudinal associations of CRF with brain atrophy and cognitive decline in a late-middle-aged cohort of adults at risk for AD. METHODS: One hundred ten cognitively unimpaired adults (66% female, mean age at baseline 64.2 ± 5.7 years) completed a baseline graded treadmill exercise test, two brain magnetic resonance imaging scans (over 4.67 ± 1.17 years), and two to three cognitive assessments (over 3.26 ± 1.02 years). Linear mixed effects models examined the longitudinal associations adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: Participants with higher baseline CRF had slower annual decline in total gray matter volume (P = .013) and cognitive function (P = .048), but not hippocampal volume (P = .426). Exploratory analyses suggested these effects may be stronger among apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers. DISCUSSION: CRF is a modifiable physiological attribute that may be targeted during the preclinical phase of AD in effort to delay disease progression, perhaps most effectively among those with genetic risk.