Midlife physical activity is associated with better cognition in old age

A new study of 3050 twins finds moderately vigorous physical activity – i.e., more strenuous than walking – to be associated with better cognition in a 25-year follow-up. The study of twins from the Finnish Twin Cohort has shown that midlife, moderately vigorous physical activity is associated with better cognition at old age. The association was statistically independent of midlife hypertension, smoking, education level, sex, obesity and binge drinking. “This suggests that the beneficial influence of physical activity on the brain and cognition is not solely based on decreasing vascular risk factors”, says researcher Paula Iso-Markku from the University of Helsinki.