The effect of occupational physical activity on dementia: Results from the Copenhagen Male Study

Abstract

Recent reviews and meta-analyses consistently support that physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on incident dementia. 1-3 Some of the suggested main mechanisms linking PA with dementia are improved cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, and preservation of hippocampal volume. 2,3 Yet, the available epidemiological evidence for a positive effect of PA on dementia is actually restricted to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), for example, sports, recreation, and transportation. Nevertheless, current guidelines recommend moderate to vigorous PA as a means to reduce dementia risk. 4 Still, despite the limited knowledge on the effect of OPA on, for instance, dementia neither general nor the dementia-specific guidelines for PA explicitly differentiate between LTPA and occupational physical activity (OPA). 5,6 Additionally, even for LTPA and cognitive health, little is known about the necessary dose, for example, in terms of duration, frequency, or intensity. 4

Physical activity in leisure time and at work and risk of dementia: A prospective cohort study of 117,616 individuals

“…16 Further, the availability of robust information on physical activity at work enabled us to confirm that increasing levels of work-related physical activity is associated with increased risk of dementia. 26 We extended these findings to both non-Alzheimer's dementia and Alzheimer's disease and observed similar findings in both women and men. That increased physical activity at work is associated with J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f increased risk -in contrast to increased physical activity in leisure time -is possibly explained by a too low intensity of the physical activity at work to maintain or improve cardiovascular health.…”

“…That increased physical activity at work is associated with J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f increased risk -in contrast to increased physical activity in leisure time -is possibly explained by a too low intensity of the physical activity at work to maintain or improve cardiovascular health. 26,27 This phenomenon is also observed for cardiovascular disease. 10,27,28 However, when combining the two types of physical activity, physical activity in leisure time had the strongest relationship with risk of non-Alzheimer's dementia making it the most efficient and likely the most realistic physical activity instrument to target for intervention.…”

Physical activity as a protective factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: systematic review, meta-analysis and quality assessment of cohort and case–control studies

“…Database searches identified 16 324 articles, of which 15 658 were excluded based on title and abstract screening (figure 1). We assessed 666 full-text articles, 58 of which reported a study that fulfilled the inclusion criteria 9 11 12 15 32–85. Overall, studies included 257 983 (range: 67–81 087), 128 261 (range: 300–71 157) and 33 870 (range: 638–20 639) participants for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia outcomes, respectively.…”

Investigating Potential Dose–Response Relationships between Vitamin D Status and Cognitive Performance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in Middle- to Older-Aged Adults in the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study

“…Additionally, while we adjusted for numerous factors, some residual confounding also appears likely. We did not adjust for occupation type and were also unable to distinguish between occupational and recreational physical activity, although the latter has been more positively associated with cognitive performance in older adults [ 53 ]. Some potential confounders such as smoking status and levels of alcohol consumption may have been underestimated as they relied on self-report.…”