Participants with the APOE4 gene showed a bigger decline in cognition compared to those who didn’t have the gene.
Walking appeared to have a positive impact on all the participants; however, it was strongest among those with APOE4.
The risk of developing Alzheimer’s with the APOE4 gene is 12 times higher compared to a woman without the gene and four times higher compared to a man without the gene, according to Cindy Barha, an assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Calgary.
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However, this changed significantly is people walked, with women benefiting more.
‘Men benefit more in APOE4’
A 10% higher amount of self-reported walking was linked to a 4.7% increase in complex thinking performance over time in women and a 2.6% increase in men.
In APOE4 carriers, men seemed to benefit more, with an 8.5% increase in global cognitive performance in women and a 12% increase in men, with a 10% higher amount of self-reported walking
Walking helps increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the health of brain cells, said Barha.
Other proteins could also be a factor.
“BDNF is like fertilizer for your brain that is naturally produced, especially when you are being physically active, such as when you are walking,” said Barha.
“It helps brain cells survive, grow, and form stronger connections; this supports memory, learning, and mood, especially in the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory center.”
The second study
The second study, led by researchers in Finland, found that several lifestyle changes could also benefit people with the APOE4 gene more than those with other mutations.
The study followed 2,469 people from France, Japan, and Finland — some of them receiving multi-focus lifestyle interventions, while others didn’t
Among the participants, 709 were APOE4 carriers.
The lifestyle changes included:
- Cognitive training with either computers or pencil and paper.
- Physical activity, including group-based exercise sessions lasting 90 minutes.
- Dietary counseling.
A preliminary analysis found that the changes were more beneficial among the APOE4 carriers.
Jenni Lehtisalo, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said that the risk for dementia, even in those with a genetic predisposition, can be modified through lifestyle changes.
The hope is that future research will find a specific window of time during which the changes are more effective, said Lehtisalo.
The studies show “there is something concrete we can all do to decrease the risk of cognitive decline,” said Dr. Cynthia Boyd, a professor of medicine and director of the division of geriatric medicine and gerontology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Walking and other lifestyle modifications can be protective for the brain,” Boyd added.
However, Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, added that it’s good for everyone, regardless of genetic risk, to engage in physical activity to optimize brain and cognitive health.
“Sometimes initiating new healthy behaviors is difficult for people,” he said. “Knowledge of being at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease by virtue of having an APOE4 allele may help inspire or motivate lifestyle changes to mitigate that risk.”