As the number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease is going to quadruple worldwide by 2050 reaching approximately 106 million cases, the researchers try to find answers on how to treat or to ease symptoms of this devastating disease.

Therefore, pharmaceutical companies have tried to develop drugs to fight Alzheimer’s, which causes a progressive loss of memory and mental faculties, but none of them appears to improve the condition. There are currently five drugs approved to treat Alzheimer’s, but they only mask symptoms for 6 to 12 months at most, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, an advocacy group based in Chicago.

Now a new study suggests that exercising on regular basis may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. The new finding adds to the growing body of evidence showing that physical activity helps people maintain their health optimal reducing risks for heart disease, lung disease, and even cancer.

For the new study, lead-author Jeffrey M. Burns, director of the Alzheimer’s and Memory Program at the University of Kansas of Medicine in Kansas City and colleagues analyzed results of 57 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s and 64 people without dementia, all aged 60 and over, on standard fitness tests and MRI brain scans.

Fitness tests consisted in measuring their peak oxygen demand while walking on a treadmill. It is also called cardiorespiratory fitness or VO2 peak. “At their peak, how much oxygen they’re consuming is a measure of ho physically fit they are,” Burns said. Also, MRI estimated their brain shrinkage.

The researchers found that VO2 peak was slightly lower in people with Alzheimer’s compared to people with no dementia. Also, people in the Alzheimer’s group who were less physically fit had quadruple the amount of brain shrinkage compared to controls.

“People with early Alzheimer’s disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost. Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance,” Burns said.

Previous studies have shown that exercise improves thinking and memory in people with normal brain activity. The researchers believe that exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients to brain cells, and elevate growth hormones. It appears that the same thing happens in the case of people with Alzheimer’s. Now the only thing researchers need to do is to understand how exactly exercise affects the brain, which could help them find a new target for drugs.

“Until now, there was no data to suggest people with Alzheimer’s may benefit from regular exercise,” Burns said.

Dr. Sam Gandy, chairman of the medical and scientific advisory council of the Alzheimer’s Association said the new findings suggest what previous studies have shown, namely that things helping people to maintain a healthy heart can also pay off for the brain.

More exactly, exercise and a balanced diet could always help people age healthily. In April this year, a study by a team of researchers from Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, revealed that alcohol use and smoking as well as high cholesterol boost people’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

About 5.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, a number that is expected to grow as the baby boom generation ages. About 16 million people are forecast to have Alzheimer’s by 2050, if trends continue the way it does today. The disease already afflicts one in eight people 65 and older and nearly one in two people over 85.

The study was published in the July 15 issue of Neurology.