Three separate trials have shown that physical exercise may be an effective treatment option for Alzheimer's disease and dementia, possibly even better than currently available medications, researchers say.

In three studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Washington, D.C., researchers report encouraging results on the effects of aerobic exercise on Alzheimer's disease, vascular cognitive impairment caused by damaged blood vessels in the brain and mild cognitive impairment, also known as MCI or dementia.

MCI is considered a stage in a progressive form of normal aging into dementia.

In one study of older adults with MCI, intensive aerobic exercise done on a regular basis was found to reduce amounts of tau protein present in cerebrospinal fluid.

The protein and associated amyloid plaques build up in the human brain and can destroy brain cells, leading to Alzheimer's disease.

Another study showed similar benefits of exercise for older adults with cognitive impairment associated with "mini-strokes" or other types of cerebrovascular conditions, while a third study on people suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's showed a regular regimen of aerobic exercise yielded improvements in cognitive speed and attention, researchers reported.

"No currently approved medication can rival these effects," said Laura Baker, an Alzheimer's researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina.

The findings "strongly suggest a potent lifestyle intervention such aerobic exercise can impact Alzheimer's-related changes in the brain," she said.

The researchers' work on the effects of exercise on Alzheimer's and dementia is good news for doctors trying to find the key to treating a difficult disease, says Maria Carrillo, the Alzheimer's Association's chief science officer.

"Alzheimer's is a very complex condition that has been extremely hard to address with the 'one-target, one-treatment' approach that has been successful in other diseases," she says. "Fortunately, we're beginning to see some very exciting early results ... of a new treatment approach that targets common components of all the Alzheimer's proteins."

The studies suggest regular exercise can both protect the brain from Alzheimer's and other dementias, she says, and improve the lives of those suffering from the conditions.

The findings also highlight the potential in Alzheimer's disease and dementia of non-drug therapies, and "remind us that research ought to adamantly pursue combination and multi-modal approaches to Alzheimer's therapy and prevention," she concluded.

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