Physical Activity Important For Brain Health At Any Age

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tina Hoang MSPH
Staff Research Associate
Northern California Institute for Research and Education,
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Dr. Kristine Yaffe MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology
University of California
San Francisco, CA  94121

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: We assessed physical activity and TV watching in young adults over 25 years to see if there was an association with cognitive function in middle age.  Most previous studies have only considered this association in older adults. We found that both low physical activity and high TV watching over time were associated with worse cognitive function.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: I think the main message is that physical activity is an important way to take care of your brain health at any stage of life.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: We’d really like to explore associations with different sedentary behaviors.  With the increase in screen-based behaviors in the past 20 years, there’s a vast array of sedentary behaviors, and some may be more cognitively stimulating than others.

Citation:

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Tina Hoang MSPH and Dr. Kristine Yaffe MD (2015). Physical Activity Important For Brain Health At Any Age 

Last Updated on December 2, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD