The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors on Alzheimer's Disease and Brain Health...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk is influenced by interactions between modifiable factors like physical activity and non-modifiable factors such as sex and genotype.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies for AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined effects of physical activity, APOE genotype, and sex on Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk.
• To assess how these factors influence key indicators of brain health, including brain volume and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• Utilized UK Biobank data (2006-2023) from 69,060 participants.
• Assessed physical activity via accelerometers and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
• Employed logistic and linear regression models to analyze AD incidence, brain volumes (ventricular cerebrospinal fluid, total brain), and cognitive performance (executive function, memory, visuospatial ability, processing speed, reaction time).

Main Results:

• Higher physical activity (both self-reported and accelerometer-assessed) correlated with reduced AD incidence.
• Increased physical activity was associated with larger total brain volume and smaller ventricular cerebrospinal fluid volume, with significant sex-based moderation.
• Accelerometer-assessed physical activity linked to faster reaction times, while self-reported activity showed associations with poorer visuospatial ability and executive function.

Conclusions:

• Elevated physical activity levels independently decrease Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk, irrespective of non-modifiable risk factors.
• The significant sex-based moderation in brain volume analyses highlights the importance of integrating non-modifiable factors into AD research and clinical practice.