Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Accelerated Cognitive Decline With Aging
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that self-reported physical activity accounts for variability in cognitive function among older adults, and aerobic intervention may improve cognitive function in this population. However, much less is known about the longitudinal association between direct measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function across the life span. The present study examined the prospective association between symptom-limited maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and longitudinal performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. METHODS: Up to 1,400 participants aged 19-94 years underwent initial VO2max assessment and completed subsequent tests of memory, attention, perceptuomotor speed, language, and executive function, in addition to cognitive screening measures, on up to six occasions (mean, M = 2; standard deviation, SD = 1) for up to 18 years (M = 7, SD = 3). Mixed-effects regression models were adjusted for demographic, biomedical, and behavioral confounders. RESULTS: Analyses revealed significant longitudinal associations between baseline VO2max and trajectory of performance on multiple measures of verbal and visual memory, as well as on a cognitive screening test (all ps < .05). Individuals with lower VO2max demonstrated accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline over time. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline cardiorespiratory fitness is related to longitudinal neuropsychological performance, and memory appears to be a particularly vulnerable domain. Evidence that aerobic fitness is associated with accelerated cognitive decline emphasizes the possible importance of behavioral interventions to optimize cognitive aging over time.
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Cardiovascular fitness positively correlates with cognition in young adults and preserves cognitive performance with aging.
“while cardiovascular fitness positively correlates with cognition in young adults (89) and preserves cognitive performance with aging (90).”
From Glymphatic failure as a final common pathway to dementia (2020) · cites this paper as [90]
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- Authors
- Wendell, C. R., Gunstad, J., Waldstein, S. R., Wright, J. G., Ferrucci, L., & Zonderman, A. B.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Kent State University (US)
- Baltimore VA Medical Center (US)
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2013-11-05
- Volume
- 69
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 455-462
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- PMC
- PMC3968827
- OpenAlex
- W2128831178
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 8
- FWCI
- 5.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (Z01-AG000195, Z01AG000195, P30AG028747)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- cardiorespiratory fitness, VO2max, cognitive decline, aging, memory, executive function, cognitive aging, neuropsychological performance, physical activity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Male, Memory, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Exercise, Young Adult
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