Couch Potatoes Face Dementia

Sedentary types face the risk of developing dementia like those who are genetically predisposed to it, if they don’t exercise. Researchers from McMaster University, Canada, said carriers of a variant of the ‘apolipoprotein E’ (APOE) genotype are more likely to develop dementia and inactivity dramatically increases the risk for non-carriers. APOE is the principal cholesterol carrier in the brain. This protein is involved in Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular diseases, IANS reported. “The important message here is that being inactive may completely negate the protective effects of a healthy set of genes,” said Jennifer Heisz, assistant professor at McMaster. Approximately, 47.5 million people worldwide are living with dementia and the numbers are expected to surge to 115.4 million by 2050. Researchers suggested that physical exercise can reduce the risk of developing dementia among those individuals who are not at genetic risk. The study involving over 1,600 Canadians was published in the journal Alzheimer ’s Disease.