Key result
Higher non-exercise cardiorespiratory fitness at 45 is not linked to better cognitive function at 50.
Why the study?
Identifying causal factors to intervene on to delay age-related declines in cognitive function is urgently needed.
Does higher non-exercise testing cardiorespiratory fitness at 45 years improve cognitive function outcomes at 50 years in adults?
Cohort (n=8,130)
Does higher non-exercise testing cardiorespiratory fitness at 45 years improve cognitive function outcomes at 50 years in adults?
The apparent association between mid-adulthood cardiorespiratory fitness and subsequent cognitive function is likely driven by confounding factors rather than a direct causal effect.
Null association after adjustment cautions against assuming fitness benefits cognition; confirms confounding and leaves causal effects open.
Identifying causal factors to intervene on to delay age-related declines in cognitive function is urgently needed. We examined associations between non-exercise testing cardiorespiratory fitness (NETCRF; estimated using sex, age, body mass index, resting heart rate, and physical activity) at 45 years and cognitive function outcomes (immediate and delayed verbal memory; verbal fluency; visual processing speed) at 50 years in 8130 participants from the 1958 British birth cohort. In unadjusted models, higher NETCRF was associated with better cognitive function across all outcomes. When adjusted for confounding factors, associations disappeared. In this cohort, associations between 45 years NETCRF and 50 years cognitive function likely result from confounding factors.
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Pereira et al. (2023) reported a cohort. Non-exercise testing cardiorespiratory fitness (NETCRF) was evaluated on Cognitive function outcomes (immediate and delayed verbal memory; verbal fluency; visual processing speed) at 50 years. Higher non-exercise testing cardiorespiratory fitness at age 45 was not associated with better cognitive function at age 50 after adjusting for confounding factors in 8,130 participants.
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