PHYSICAL activity such as walking protects elderly women from losing mental
function as they age. Kristine Yaffe and her colleagues from the University of
California in San Francisco studied women aged 65 years and older. A quarter of
the least active women suffered cognitive decline, compared with 17 per cent of
the most active, they told the American Neurological Association this week. But
even a little activity helps. “You don’t need to be running marathons,” says
Yaffe.
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