Effects of Exercise Intervention on Vascular Risk Factors in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AIMS: The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of exercise intervention on vascular risk factors in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Community-dwelling older adults who met the definition of MCI using the Petersen criteria (n = 100; mean age = 75.3 years) were randomly allocated to the exercise (n = 50) or education control group (n = 50). Participants in the exercise group exercised under the supervision of physiotherapists for 90 min/day, 2 days/week, 80 times for 12 months. Anthropometric profiles, blood markers, blood pressure, and physical fitness (the 6-min walking test) were measured. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and TC/HDL-C risk ratio measurements were taken from blood samples. RESULTS: The exercise group showed significantly reduced TC and TC/HDL-C risk ratio after training compared with baseline levels (p < 0.001, p = 0.004). However, no significant reduction was found for the control group (p = 0.09, p = 0.09). Physical fitness also significantly improved after exercise intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Exercise intervention was associated with positive changes in important vascular risk factors related to cognitive decline and vascular disease in older adults with MCI.