SynthesisThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2021
The Importance of Engaging in Physical Activity in Older Adulthood for Transitions Between Cognitive Status Categories and Death: A Coordinated Analysis of 14 Longitudinal Studies.
Synthesis in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Using Digital Technology to Quantify Habitual Physical Activity in Community Dwellers With Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Coordinated data analysis: Knowledge accumulation in lifespan developmental psychology.Psychology and aging · 2022Pooled it
- Is my loneliness killing me? Effects of loneliness and social isolation on transitions between cognitive status categories and death.Journal of personality and social psychology · 2026Article
- Affective memories of school physical education, life-phase timing of formative experiences, and adult sport and exercise participation: a quota-representative study in Germany.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Key pillars of active aging in the context of the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030): an integrative literature review.Dementia & neuropsychologia · 2026Article
- 24-hour activity cycle behaviors and gray matter volume in mild cognitive impairment.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025Article
- Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer disease.Nature reviews. Immunology · 2025Review
- Review
- Move more, age well: prescribing physical activity for older adults.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025Review
- Cognitive Function Profiles and Associated Factors in Older Adults Living with Type 2 Diabetes: A Latent Profile Analysis.Clinical interventions in aging · 2025Article
- Daily physical activity in older adults across levels of care: the HUNT Trondheim 70 + study.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2024Article
- The Association of the 24-Hour Activity Cycle Profiles With Cognition in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024Article
- An exploratory study of mothers engaging in physical activity in rural communities.Women & health · 2024Article
- Transitions Between Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Mortality: The Importance of Olfaction.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2023Article
- Associations Between Local Area Deprivation and Physical Activity Participation in People with Cognitive Impairment in the North East of England.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2023Article
- Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sedentary Time: Insights for Future Research in the Field of Geroscience.JAR life · 2023Article
- Availability of Cognitive Resources in Early Life Predicts Transitions Between Cognitive States in Middle and Older Adults From Europe.Innovation in aging · 2023Article
- The effect of acute exercise on objectively measured sleep and cognition in older adults.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Risk factors for subjective cognitive decline: the CABLE study.Translational psychiatry · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGiven increasing incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia, further understanding of modifiable factors contributing to increased healthspan is crucial. Extensive literature provides evidence that physical activity (PA) delays the onset of cognitive impairment; however, it is unclear whether engaging in PA in older adulthood is sufficient to influence progression through cognitive status categories.
methodApplying a coordinated analysis approach, this project independently analyzed 14 longitudinal studies (NTotal = 52 039; mean baseline age across studies = 69.9-81.73) from North America and Europe using multistate survival models to estimate the impact of engaging in PA on cognitive status transitions (nonimpaired, mildly impaired, severely impaired) and death. Multinomial regression models were fit to estimate life expectancy (LE) based on American PA recommendations. Meta-analyses provided the pooled effect sizes for the role of PA on each transition and estimated LEs.
resultsControlling for baseline age, sex, education, and chronic conditions, analyses revealed that more PA is significantly associated with decreased risk of transitioning from nonimpaired to mildly impaired cognitive functioning and death, as well as substantially longer LE. Results also provided evidence for a protective effect of PA after onset of cognitive impairment (eg, decreased risk of transitioning from mild-to-severe cognitive impairment; increased likelihood of transitioning backward from severe-to-mild cognitive impairment), though between-study heterogeneity suggests a less robust association.
conclusionsThese results yield evidence for the importance of engaging in PA in older adulthood for cognitive health, and a rationale for motivating older adults to engage consistently in PA.
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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.