Exercise beneficial for Alzheimer's prevention

Few rigorous clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of exercise on the physical functioning of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). A JAMA Internal Medicine study investigated the effects of intense and long-term exercise on the physical functioning and mobility of home-dwelling patients with AD and to explore its effects on the use and costs of health and social services.

One group was given group-based exercise (GE; 4-hour sessions with approximately 1-hour training) and another group tailored home-based exercise (HE; 1-hour training), both twice a week for 1 year. The control group (CG) received the usual community care.

All groups deteriorated in functioning during the year after randomization, but deterioration was significantly faster in the CG than in the HE or GE group. The HE and GE groups had significantly fewer falls than the CG during the follow-up year. The total costs of health and social services for the HE patient-caregiver were $25 112, $22 066 in the GE group, and $34 121 in the CG.

Intensive and long-term exercise programs had beneficial effects on the physical functioning of patients with AD without increasing the total costs of health and social services or causing any significant adverse effects.

Steve: Hmm. With all the money being funneled into Alzheimer's organizations, where is the money allocated to public service announcements encouraging exercise? Oh right. Most of that is going to pharmaceuticals that have so far been utter failures.