Health
Alzheimer’s risk declines sharply with one daily lifestyle change, researchers say
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Increasing physical activity in midlife or later may reduce the chances of developing dementia by up to 45%, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health analyzed data from more than 4,300 people in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring, all of whom were dementia-free at the start of the study.
The individuals completed a questionnaire reporting their amount of sleep and level of physical activity (sedentary, slight, moderate or heavy), according to the study report.
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Study design and key findings
The researchers analyzed the individuals’ physical activity throughout three life stages — early adult (ages 26-44 years), midlife (45-64 years) and late life (65-88 years).
Increasing physical activity in midlife or later may reduce the chances of developing dementia by up to 45%, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. (iStock)
They followed the participants for an average span of 37.2, 25.9 and 14.5 years, respectively, to monitor the onset of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Those in the top two quintiles of midlife physical activity were associated with a 40% lower all-cause dementia risk over a 26-year period, compared to those with the lowest activity level.
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People in the top two quintiles of late-life physical activity were associated with a 36% to 45% lower dementia risk over 15 years.
Thise with the highest midlife physical activity were associated with a 40% lower all-cause dementia risk over a 26-year period, compared to those with the lowest activity level. (iStock)
“These results may help to inform more precise and effective strategies to prevent or delay the onset of dementia in later life, and support evidence that the benefits of physical activity on the brain may extend to earlier in life than previously thought,” study author Phillip Hwang, Ph.D., from the Department of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, told Fox News Digital.
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Higher activity in midlife was associated with lower dementia risk only in people without APOE4, a genetic variant linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
However, this was not the case with the late-life higher activity group, which showed reduced dementia risk among both APOE4 carriers and those without the gene, according to the study.
The exercise-brain link
“There are several possible mechanisms through which physical activity is thought to lower the risk of dementia, such as improving brain structure and function, reducing inflammation and exerting benefits on vascular function,” Hwang told Fox News Digital.
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Physical activity may also directly impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology, such as the buildup of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain, according to the researcher.
Physical activity may also directly impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology, such as the buildup of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain. (iStock)
“These potential mechanisms may contribute to facilitating cognitive reserve, which can delay late-life cognitive impairment.”
More research is needed to understand whether these possible causes all happen at the same time throughout a person’s life, or if different causes emerge at different stages, the researchers said.
Expert reactions
Dr. Cathryn Devons, M.D., who specializes in geriatric medicine at Phelps Hospital Northwell Health in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was not part of the study but commented on the findings.
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Exercise can lower the risk of hypertension, stroke, vascular disease, cholesterol levels and diabetes — “all the things that put you at risk for circulatory problems to the brain,” she told Fox News Digital.
The doctor also noted that exercise is known to help to reduce inflammation, which can protect brain health.
Study limitations
One limitation of the study is that physical activity was based on self-reporting, Hwang told Fox News Digital.
Physical activity may also directly impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology, such as the buildup of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
“While we can say from these results that higher levels of overall physical activity are associated with reduced dementia risk, these results cannot translate well to recommendations about specific exercise types,” he said.
Also, the level of physical activity in early adulthood was not linked with all-cause dementia or Alzheimer’s dementia.
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“We may have been underpowered to detect associations with early adult life physical activity due to the small number of dementia cases in this age group,” the authors noted.
Devons agreed that while the study may have limitations, it supports the idea of exercise lowering the risk of dementia.
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Health
Pediatricians group stands up for kids’ rapidly shrinking recess time: ‘Very powerful benefit’
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Recess may look like downtime, but pediatricians say cutting it could cost kids far more than a few minutes on the playground.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated guidance for the first time in more than a decade that urges schools to protect recess, highlighting that the unstructured break delivers major benefits for kids’ health, learning and behavior.
“It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest,” said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the new guidance, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Researchers say recess helps students reset between lessons, improving focus and memory. It also gives kids time to build social skills, boost confidence and stay physically active, a key factor as 1 in 5 U.S. children and teens struggle with obesity.
THIS SIMPLE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CAN IMPROVE AMERICANS’ HEALTH, SAYS GOVERNOR
Students play ball during recess at St. Agnes Elementary School in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 3, 2020. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)
Despite those benefits, recess time has been shrinking for years. Since the mid-2000s, up to 40% of school districts have reduced or eliminated it, according to data from the Springboard to Active Schools group and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The group is pushing schools to reverse that trend, recommending at least 20 minutes of daily recess and multiple breaks. It further warned against using it as punishment.
Whittier Elementary School students enjoy recess in Mesa, Ariz., on Oct. 18, 2022. (Matt York/AP)
“If the child is disruptive or rude and disrespectful, recess is one of the things that teachers use to punish kids,” Murray said, noting that those students often need it most.
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Doctors also stress that recess isn’t just for younger children. As screen time rises, older students need time to unplug, move and recharge.
Elementary school students play tag outside on the grass during recess. (iStock)
“As kids get older, they’re more on their screens,” said Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, a pediatric specialist. “So it’s really helpful, I think, for outdoor activity and recess to be happening. Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.”
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In other countries such as Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom, students already get more frequent breaks, often after every 45 to 50 minutes of instruction. Experts say this model could help U.S. schools improve both learning and student well-being.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Health
Cruise ship linked to deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrives off Tenerife as passenger evacuation begins
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The cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrived early Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife, where passengers began to evacuate and fly to their home countries.
Passengers are being tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they are asymptomatic before being transported ashore in small boats, Spanish officials said, according to Reuters.
Spanish health authorities confirmed that the first plane carrying the Spanish passengers has departed for a military hospital in Madrid, where they will be under quarantine.
The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius will be flown to a medical center in Nebraska after health officials allow them to disembark.
AMERICANS TO BE EVACUATED FROM HANTAVIRUS CRUISE SHIP AS GLOBAL HEALTH CHIEF TRAVELS TO QUARANTINE ISLAND
The cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official told ABC News on Saturday morning that federal officials currently do not plan to mandate quarantine when the American passengers arrive in Nebraska.
They will instead be screened upon arrival in the U.S. and either stay briefly at Nebraska’s National Quarantine Unit or return home to monitor for symptoms for 42 days while staying in contact with local health authorities, the official said.
The ship set course for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union requested assistance in managing the outbreak.
The ship’s arrival comes hours after World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on the island.
The WHO said Friday that eight people aboard the ship had fallen ill, including three who died. Six cases have been confirmed, with two others suspected.
HANTAVIRUS DEATHS ON CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHT DANGERS OF RODENT-BORNE DISEASE
A cruise ship linked to a Hantavirus outbreak anchored near the Spanish island of Tenerife ahead of a planned evacuation. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
In a statement Saturday, Ghebreyesus said the public health risk remains low.
“I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest,” he said.
“The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID-19. The current public health risk from Hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he continued.
ARGENTINA INVESTIGATORS ZERO IN ON POSSIBLE ORIGIN POINT OF HANTAVIRUS IN DEADLY CRUISE OUTBREAK
A police boat operates next to the cruise ship MV Hondius at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
Ghebreyesus noted that the virus identified aboard the ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can be severe.
“Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their families,” he wrote, reiterating that the public health risk posed by the virus remained low.
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An ambulance evacuates patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship to the airport in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
About 30 crew members are expected to remain on board as the vessel continues to the Netherlands, where it will be disinfected.
Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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