Physical activity as a protective factor in a prospective ageing study in Germany

Introduction: There is growing epidemiological evidence that physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of dementia. We asked if this protective effect was present in the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development and Aging (ILSE) and thus modulated the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: 500 participants of the ILSE were examined in 1993–1996 (t1), 1997–2000 (t2) and 2005–2008 (t3). In all examination waves, participants were carefully screened for physical and mental health through extensive medical interviews, physical and neuropsychological exa…