“Alzheimer’s disease prevention through exercise should be a priority for public health policies”

2024-09-27 13:00:12

DWhen he celebrated the great game of Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic, many doctors took advantage of the French passion for sport to talk about its benefits on physical and mental health. But little has been discussed about the important role of physical activity in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

However, Alzheimer’s disease – a neurodegenerative disease which affects one million patients in France and millions of people around the world – represents a major challenge for public health in developed countries. With the increase in life expectancy, this disease will affect more and more people, so it raises the important question of prevention. A question that is more burning as we do not have effective treatments without serious side effects.

As a reminder, European health authorities (European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, CMHP) did not authorize the placing of Leqembi on the European market this summer. This product, registered in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Great Britain and South Korea, is undoubtedly effective in reducing amyloid plaques, but the CMHP notes that the observed clinical benefit is not sufficient to justify the risks of treatment-related complications.

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In any case, if preventive action is possible, it should not be neglected in any case. However, one of the most promising methods of prevention for delaying the onset of this disease is physical activity.

But what exactly is the role of exercise in preventing Alzheimer’s disease?

The challenge of Alzheimer’s disease

In France, one million people are affectedand this number continues to grow. These alarming figures show the urgency of finding solutions to prevent or slow down the progression of this disease.

Research on Alzheimer’s has advanced greatly in recent decades, but its process is complex and still poorly understood. Only 1% of cases of Alzheimer’s disease are hereditary. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease in which certain risk factors are modifiable and play an important role in its appearance and development. According to researchers40% of cases of Alzheimer’s disease can be avoided with proper prevention. And among the risk factors that can be changed on which we can do, the sedentary life is in an important place.