This page is alzhub.org's plain-English summary of a published study, not the paper itself. It is generated from the record we hold for this study, sourced and linked below — check the original for the full text and methods.

69/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 69 out of 100. Prevention and risk

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background Physical exercise has several beneficial effects, including reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease. Although several studies of potential risk factors for vascular dementia (VaD) exist, including physical activity, the studies have usually included few participants and there are no meta-analyses addressing this key topic. Methods The MEDLINE database was searched using the key words 'physical exercise' 'activity' or 'walking' in combination with 'dementia' and 'vascular dementia'. Potentially relevant studies were assessed and summarised by two of the authors, and longitudinal studies with operationalized definition of physical activity providing risk for VaD in both groups were included in the meta-analysis using pooled estimates from a random effects model. Results A total of 24 longitudinal studies, including 1378 patients with VaD, were included in the review. The majority of individual studies did not report significant associations. Five studies fulfilled criteria for meta-analysis, including 10,108 non-demented control subjects and 374 individuals with VaD. The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant association between physical exercise and a reduced risk of developing VaD: OR 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.92). Conclusions We conclude that there is evidence supporting the hypothesis that physical activity is likely to prevent the development of VaD, and should be highlighted as part of secondary prevention programmes in people at risk for cerebrovascular disease.

Key findings

Results A total of 24 longitudinal studies, including 1378 patients with VaD, were included in the review.
The majority of individual studies did not report significant associations.
The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant association between physical exercise and a reduced risk of developing VaD: OR 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.92).
Conclusions We conclude that there is evidence supporting the hypothesis that physical activity is likely to prevent the development of VaD, and should be highlighted as part of secondary prevention programmes in people at risk for cerebrovascular disease.

Why it matters

A meta-analysis of 5 studies found a significant association between physical exercise and a reduced risk of developing vascular dementia. The majority of the 24 individual longitudinal studies reviewed did not report significant associations on their own.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →

Study details

Study designmeta-analysis
Participants1,378
Effect sizeOR 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.92)
Evidence strengthHigh

How this study scored 69/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 66 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 69 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging & mental health)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Aging & Mental Health: journal h-index 153 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	12 / 12	A meta-analysis pooling many studies
Strength of evidence	5 / 5	Rated “high” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	1,378 participants
Effect reported	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 194 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	10.8 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 1.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 13 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 23 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	— / 4	OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author the Alzheimer's Society Systematic holds only 1 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score
Institution's track record	1 / 3	King's College London: institution h-index 1,348 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20455113)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Points	66 / 96	Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 66 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 69 out of 100.
Total	69 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Aarsland, D., Sardahaee, F. S., Anderssen, S., Ballard, C., & Alzheimer's Society Systematic Review group. (2010). Is physical activity a potential preventive factor for vascular dementia? A systematic review. Aging & mental health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860903586136

Vancouver

Aarsland D, Sardahaee FS, Anderssen S, Ballard C, Alzheimer's Society Systematic Review group. Is physical activity a potential preventive factor for vascular dementia? A systematic review. Aging & mental health. 2010. doi:10.1080/13607860903586136. PMID: 20455113.

BibTeX

@article{aarsland2010-20455113,
  author  = {Aarsland, D. and Sardahaee, F. S. and Anderssen, S. and Ballard, C. and {Alzheimer's Society Systematic Review group}},
  title   = {{Is physical activity a potential preventive factor for vascular dementia? A systematic review}},
  journal = {Aging \& mental health},
  year    = {2010},
  doi     = {10.1080/13607860903586136},
  pmid    = {20455113},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860903586136}
}

Studies this one cites

Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 15.

Later studies that cite this one

13 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.

Related studies in Prevention and risk

Also tagged “biobank”

1,084 studies in the library carry the topic tag “biobank”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,084 tagged studies.

Similar studies

More on Prevention and risk

See all studies in Prevention and risk →