Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25887627›Full record

SynthesisBMC geriatrics2015

A meta-analysis of prospective studies on the role of physical activity and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

Michael W Beckett, Christopher I Ardern, Michael A Rotondi

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03939286 (Multimodal Imaging Study on Physical Activity in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease), which is not on this map. Cited by 74 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
74citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
6.6field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03939286 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Multimodal Imaging Study on Physical Activity in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

TypeinterventionalSponsorRWTH Aachen UniversityRan2019 to 2021Enrolled50ConditionsAlzheimer DiseaseArmsClinical-neurological and neuropsychological tests, Blood sampling, Assessment of physical activity via fitness tracker/diary, MRI-examinations
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

74 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 166 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
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  8. The 2017 Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2018
    Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Physical fitness and incident mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2025
    Review
  19. Longitudinal associations between self-reported exercise levels and cognition in ADAD.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
  20. Article

14 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Michael W BeckettSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Room 364 Strong College, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada. mwtb@yorku.ca.
Christopher I ArdernSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Room 344 Norman Bethune College, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada. cardern@yorku.ca.
Michael A RotondiSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Room 364 Norman Bethune College, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada. mrtondi@yorku.ca.
York University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe incidence of Alzheimer's disease is increasing as the global population ages. Given the limited success of pharmaceuticals in preventing this disease, a greater emphasis on non-pharmaceutical approaches is needed. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between Alzheimer's disease and physical activity in older adults over the age of 65 years.

methodsA meta-analytic approach was used to determine if physical activity reduced the risk of Alzheimer's disease in individuals 65 years or older. Some evidence indicates that physical activity may improve cognitive function in older adults, while other evidence is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine if prevention of Alzheimer's disease is possible if started at a later age. The precise brain changes that occur with the onset of Alzheimer's disease are not fully known, and therefore may still be influenced by preventative measures even in advancing age. Determining if physical activity can inhibit the onset of the disease at any age may motivate individuals to adopt an "it's never too late" mentality on preventing the onset of this debilitating disease. Longitudinal studies of participants who were 65 years or older at baseline were included. A total of 20,326 participants from nine studies were included in this analysis.

resultsThe fixed effects risk ratio is estimated as 0.61 (95% CI 0.52-0.73) corresponding to a statistically significant overall reduction in risk of Alzheimer's disease in physically active older adults compared to their non-active counterparts.

conclusionPhysical activity was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults over the age of 65 years. Given the limited treatment options, greater emphasis should be paid to primary prevention through physical activity amongst individuals at high-risk of Alzheimer's disease, such as those with strong genetic and family history.

Indexed as

Motor ActivityAgedAged, 80 and overAlzheimer DiseaseFemaleHumansMaleProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID25887627
PMCPMC4333880
OpenAlexW2066400148

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.