Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

Cycling Linked to Lower Dementia Risk and Larger Hippocampus in 500,000 Britons

Analysis of nearly half a million Britons over 13 years shows primary cycling transport reduces overall dementia risk by 19 percent with a 40 percent drop in young-onset cases.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Researchers tracked transport habits and health outcomes for 479,723 UK Biobank participants from 2012 to 2025 to assess dementia incidence over 13 years.
  • Participants relying on cars, buses or trains for daily travel had higher rates of dementia diagnoses than those who regularly cycled.
  • Cycling was associated with a 22 percent reduction in Alzheimer’s disease risk and a 40 percent lower rate of young-onset dementia among under-65 cyclists.
  • Frequent cyclists retained greater hippocampal volume, suggesting enhanced preservation of the brain region crucial for memory and learning.
  • Researchers suggest that physical exertion, improved cerebral blood flow, reduced inflammation and navigational challenges underpin cycling’s protective impact, even among APOE-e4 gene carriers.