Key result
Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is linked to diminished age-related white matter hyperintensity volume in older adults.
Why the study?
Age is a key risk factor for white matter hyperintensity development and cardiorespiratory fitness improves vessel compliance, but whether cardiorespiratory fitness affects white matter hyperintensity volume remains unknown.
Does higher cardiorespiratory fitness reduce age-related white matter hyperintensity volume in healthy older adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=76)
No
Does higher cardiorespiratory fitness reduce age-related white matter hyperintensity volume in healthy older adults?
Effect estimate: beta -0.25 (95% CI -0.006 to -0.0001)
p-value: p=0.040
Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a reduction in the typical age-related increase in white matter hyperintensity volume among healthy older adults.
Supports CRF as potentially protective vs age-related WMH; hypothesis-generating for interventional trials in older adults.
White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are among the most commonly observed marker of cerebrovascular disease. Age is a key risk factor for WMH development. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with increased vessel compliance, but it remains unknown if high CRF affects WMH volume. This study explored the effects of CRF on WMH volume in community-dwelling older adults. We further tested the possibility of an interaction between CRF and age on WMH volume. Participants were 76 adults between the ages of 59 and 77 (mean age = 65.36 years, SD = 3.92) who underwent a maximal graded exercise test and structural brain imaging. Results indicated that age was a predictor of WMH volume (beta = .32, p = .015). However, an age-by-CRF interaction was observed such that higher CRF was associated with lower WMH volume in older participants (beta = -.25, p = .040). Our findings suggest that higher levels of aerobic fitness may protect cerebrovascular health in older adults.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Johnson et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy older adults (n=76). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was evaluated on White matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume (beta -0.25, 95% CI -0.006 to -0.0001, p=0.040). Higher cardiorespiratory fitness significantly diminished the characteristic effects of age on white matter hyperintensity volume in community-dwelling older adults (beta -0.25).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: