The global health organisation noted that governments must concentrate on lowering modifiable risk factors for dementia due to the rising number of individuals with dementia, its considerable social and economic effect, and the lack of a cure.
The new research, which was published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal, revealed how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about cognitive health.
The researchers followed nearly 9,000 adults over 10 years who were part of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a longitudinal study of people over the age of 50 funded by the UK government and the US National Institute on Aging.
In addition to the initial work, participants had to undergo a follow-up interview and knowledge test every two years.
The researchers excluded anyone with a dementia diagnosis or with test scores that suggested cognitive decline.
At the end of the research, the study discovered that sleeping less than six hours a night was linked with a faster rate of cognitive decline over time.
During the research, the most physically active group in the research had greater levels of education and affluence and are less likely to smoke, drink or have chronic depression or illness compared to the least active group.
Despite those advantages, at the end of the 10 years, it was discovered that the highly active people in their 50s and 60s, who slept on average less than six hours a night lost the advantage that exercise provided.
The study also found that they declined more rapidly and had the same cognitive levels as people who didn’t exercise.
The researcher found that people who had higher levels of physical activity and also slept between six and eight hours per night had better cognitive function as they aged.
The study indicated that those with poor sleeping habits and low levels of physical activity over time had lower cognitive function.
It was further observed that physically active short sleepers in their 50s and 60s experienced a more rapid cognitive decline compared with better sleepers, but only to a certain age.
In people aged 70 and older, the benefits of exercise on the brain were maintained, despite short sleep.
The lead author and a research fellow at the Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care at the University College London, United Kingdom, Dr. Mikaela Bloomberg said the study is an attestation to the importance of having enough sleep.
She stated, “Our study suggests that getting sufficient sleep may be required for us to get the full cognitive benefits of physical activity.
“It shows how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about cognitive health. We were surprised that regular physical activity may not always be sufficient to counter the long-term effects of lack of sleep on cognitive health.
“By age 70 years, the cognitive benefit associated with higher physical activity was maintained over the 10-year follow-up period
“Our results suggest the importance of considering physical activity and sleep together, as these factors might combine in complex ways to influence cognitive trajectories from age 50 years onwards.”
source: healthwise.punchng
