Hobby enjoyed by millions reduces chance of getting young-onset dementia by 40 per cent, scientists discover
Getting out and about on your bike in mid-life could massively slash your risk of dementia, a study of half-a-million Britons suggests.
Experts found those who used cycling as their primary mode of transport cut their chances of developing any form of dementia by almost a fifth compared to those using more sedentary modes of transport such as cars, buses or trains.
Active cyclists were also found to be 40 per cent less likely to develop young-onset dementia, a form of the memory robbing disorder that strikes the under 65s and which is on the rise in the UK.
For dementia specially caused by Alzheimer's disease, cycling was found to reduce the risk by 22 per cent.
The authors of the study, from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, said cycling may be protecting the brain in multiple ways.
Firstly, the physical effort of cycling boosts blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation in the organ, and also helps combat conditions linked to dementia risk like obesity.
Secondly, the scientists theorised that cyclists were also enjoying a cognitive boost from the activity, from needing to be aware of hazards on the road to mentally mapping their route, which could also be beneficial to brain health.
The researchers also found people who reported frequently cycling had on average, a larger hippocampus, part of the brain crucial to memory and learning.
Writing in the journal JAMA Network Open, the authors said their findings could encourage adults to opt for a more active form of transport.
'Promoting active travel strategies, particularly cycling, may be associated with lower dementia risk among middle-aged and older adults, which carries substantial public health benefits by encouraging accessible, sustainable practices for cognitive health preservation,' they wrote.
One critical finding of the study was that patients who carried the APOE-e4 gene, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's, could still benefit from cycling.
APOE-e4 is carried by about one in 50 people, including the likes of Avengers star Chris Hemsworth, and has been linked to a ten-fold increased risk of Alzheimer's.
Researchers observed that although the benefits of cycling on dementia risk were dampened for people with the gene—compared to those without it—the activity still had some protective affect and be encouraged in this group.
The findings were based on an analysis of almost 500,000 Britons with an average of 56 at the start of the study, with the youngest being in their late 40s.
This study group, which was split evenly in terms of sex, were asked what form of transport they used most to get around over the previous four weeks.
Researchers then followed the health outcomes of the participants for the next 13 years, recording any dementia diagnoses and, if so, what type.
At the conclusion, almost 9,000 cases of dementia and 4,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia were recorded.
Analysis revealed those who reported cycling as their primary transport method were 19 per cent less likely to develop any form of dementia than those opting for a transport method where they sat down for long periods.
The study does have some limitations, which the authors acknowledged.
Firstly, is that researchers only used data on four weeks of transport method in their analysis.
This means changes participants may have made in the next 13 years to their primary transport method would not have been recorded.
Secondly, the research is observational meaning that while a link between cycling and reduced odds of dementia was found it cannot be proven the activity directly influenced the chances of getting the condition and not some other factor.
The young-onset dementia finding comes amid a rise of the condition in Britain over the last decade.
The latest figures suggest almost 71,000 people in Britain are currently living with this form of dementia, accounting for about 7.5 per cent of all dementia diagnosis.
This is a rise of 69 per cent from the figure recorded in 2014.
The new study, follows research published last month that found sitting or lying down for long periods could increase your risk of Alzheimer's regardless of how much exercise you do overall.
Analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimates that the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt.
An ageing population means these costs – which include lost earnings of unpaid carers – are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years.
Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while the figure is thought to be around seven million in the US.
Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.
Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
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