Study shows vigorous swimming can reduce dementia risk

Vigorous swimming – among other forms of intensive aerobic exercise – can significantly reduce the risk of acquiring dementia in later life, according to a recent study.

The new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that vigorous exercise – including swimming – can reduce a protein associated with developing dementia.

More people die in Australia from dementia than any other cause. In 2023, more than one in ten deaths were caused by dementia, with estimations that more than one million people could be affected by 2065, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.

A recently published paper by the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania has also found that the more vigorous the exercise, the more brain health is protected.

Dr Eddy Roccati, a senior research fellow at the centre told the ABC that the finding is significant because it shows for the first time how a blood-based biomarker that’s indicative of dementia risk is associated with a key and accessible modifiable risk factor.

The project aims to understand who is most likely to develop dementia and ways to reduce that risk. Participants give a blood sample every two years and also complete surveys about their lifestyle.

Dr Roccati says that exercise that makes you puff is the most effective.

The study adds to growing evidence that around 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable lifestyle and behavioural risk factors.

Addressing physical inactivity, a key midlife modifiable risk factor, could significantly reduce dementia cases.

Social interaction, good sleep and reducing blood pressure are some of the ways to reduce dementia risk. High cholesterol, hearing loss, obesity and smoking increase the likelihood of developing the disease.

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