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63/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 63 out of 100. Biomarkers

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Importance Physical activity (PA) is a nonpharmacological intervention for dementia prevention. The association between PA and Alzheimer disease (AD) plasma biomarkers remains underexplored. Objective To investigate the associations among PA; plasma biomarkers, including β-amyloid 42/40 (Aβ42/40), phosphorylated-tau217 (ptau217), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain (NfL); and cognition. Design, setting, and participants This cross-sectional study included participants with and without cognitive impairment recruited from multiple memory clinics in South Korea between May 2019 and May 2022. Data were analyzed from June to December 2024. Exposures PA was assessed as metabolic equivalent task minutes per week using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized into quartiles from the lowest (Q1) to the highest (Q4). Main outcomes and measures Plasma Aβ42/40, ptau217, GFAP, and NfL were measured. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB). Results Among 1144 participants (mean [SD] age 70.9 [8.7] years; 744 [65.0%] female), the highest PA quartile showed significantly lower ptau217 (estimate [SE], -0.14 [0.06]; P = .01) and NfL (estimate [SE], -0.12 [0.05]; P = .01) compared with the lowest quartile. Higher PA quartiles were associated with higher MMSE scores (estimate [SE]: Q2, 0.93 [0.31]; P = .003; Q3, 0.82 [0.32]; P = .009; Q4, 0.94 [0.32]; P = .004) and lower CDR-SB scores (estimate [SE]: Q2, -0.33 [0.16]; P = .04; Q3, -0.37 [0.16]; P = .02; Q4, -0.55 [0.16]; P = .001) after adjusting for age, sex, education years, and β-amyloid uptake. In subgroup analyses according to age and cognitive status, the associations of PA and plasma biomarkers with cognition were more pronounced in the older (age ≥65 years) and cognitively impaired groups compared with the younger and cognitively unimpaired groups. Conclusions and relevance These findings suggest that PA may help delay cognitive decline by modulating neurodegeneration and AD-specific tau pathologies. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and clarify these associations.

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

APA 7th

Kim, S. A., Shin, D., Ham, H., Kim, Y., Gu, Y., Kim, H. J., et al. (2025). Physical Activity, Alzheimer Plasma Biomarkers, and Cognition. JAMA network open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0096

Vancouver

Kim SA, Shin D, Ham H, Kim Y, Gu Y, Kim HJ, et al. Physical Activity, Alzheimer Plasma Biomarkers, and Cognition. JAMA network open. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0096. PMID: 40042844.

BibTeX

@article{kim2025-40042844,
  author  = {Kim, S. A. and Shin, D. and Ham, H. and Kim, Y. and Gu, Y. and Kim, H. J. and Na, D. L. and Zetterberg, H. and others},
  title   = {{Physical Activity, Alzheimer Plasma Biomarkers, and Cognition}},
  journal = {JAMA network open},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0096},
  pmid    = {40042844},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0096}
}

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Key findings

Results Among 1144 participants (mean [SD] age 70.9 [8.7] years; 744 [65.0%] female), the highest PA quartile showed significantly lower ptau217 (estimate [SE], -0.14 [0.06]; P = .01) and NfL (estimate [SE], -0.12 [0.05]; P = .01) compared with the lowest quartile.
Higher PA quartiles were associated with higher MMSE scores (estimate [SE]: Q2, 0.93 [0.31]; P = .003; Q3, 0.82 [0.32]; P = .009; Q4, 0.94 [0.32]; P = .004) and lower CDR-SB scores (estimate [SE]: Q2, -0.33 [0.16]; P = .04; Q3, -0.37 [0.16]; P = .02; Q4, -0.55 [0.16]; P = .001) after adjusting for age, sex, education years, and β-amyloid uptake.
In subgroup analyses according to age and cognitive status, the associations of PA and plasma biomarkers with cognition were more pronounced in the older (age ≥65 years) and cognitively impaired groups compared with the younger and cognitively unimpaired groups.
Conclusions and relevance These findings suggest that PA may help delay cognitive decline by modulating neurodegeneration and AD-specific tau pathologies.

Why it matters

In this cross-sectional study, people reporting the most physical activity had lower ptau217 and NfL levels and better cognitive scores than those reporting the least. Because it looked at one point in time, it cannot show that physical activity causes these differences or prevents Alzheimer's disease.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →

Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants1,144
Effect size65.0%
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 63/100

Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA network open)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	1,144 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	3 / 7	Cited 29 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	9.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 18.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	1 / 4	Last-listed author Young‐Ju Kim: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 16 institution(s) in 5 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40042844)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	63 / 100	—

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