Physical activity and risk of Alzheimer disease
A 2-sample mendelian randomization study
Citation Manager Formats
Make Comment
See Comments

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Abstract
Objective Evidence from observational studies for the effect of physical activity on the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) is inconclusive. We performed a 2-sample mendelian randomization analysis to examine whether physical activity is protective for AD.
Methods Summary data of genome-wide association studies on physical activity and AD were used. The primary study population included 21,982 patients with AD and 41,944 cognitively normal controls. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known at p < 5 × 10−8 to be associated with average accelerations and 8 SNPs associated at p < 5 × 10−7 with vigorous physical activity (fraction of accelerations >425 milligravities) served as instrumental variables.
Results There was no association between genetically predicted average accelerations with the risk of AD (inverse variance weighted odds ratio [OR] per SD increment: 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.97–1.10, p = 0.332). Genetic liability for fraction of accelerations >425 milligravities was unrelated to AD risk.
Conclusion The present study does not support a causal association between physical activity and risk of AD.
Glossary
- AD=
- Alzheimer disease;
- CI=
- confidence interval;
- DSM-IV=
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition;
- GWAS=
- genome-wide association studies;
- IVW=
- inverse-variance weighted;
- MET=
- metabolic equivalent task;
- MR-Egger=
- mendelian randomization–Egger;
- MR-PRESSO=
- mendelian randomization–Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier;
- OR=
- odds ratio;
- SNP=
- single nucleotide polymorphism
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
This Null Hypothesis article is published as part of a collaborative effort between Neurology® and CBMRT.
- Received November 21, 2019.
- Accepted in final form April 10, 2020.
- © 2020 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)
Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here
Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page. Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00. Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means. The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use. Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Dr. Sevil Yaşar and Dr. Behnam Sabayan
► Watch
Related Articles
- No related articles found.
Alert Me
Recommended articles
-
Article
Sleep, major depressive disorder, and Alzheimer diseaseA Mendelian randomization studyJian Huang, Verena Zuber, Paul M. Matthews et al.Neurology, August 19, 2020 -
Article
Risky behaviors and Parkinson diseaseA mendelian randomization studySandeep Grover, Christina M. Lill, Meike Kasten et al.Neurology, September 16, 2019 -
Article
Genetically decreased vitamin D and risk of Alzheimer diseaseLauren E. Mokry, Stephanie Ross, John A. Morris et al.Neurology, November 16, 2016 -
Article
Circulating insulin-like growth factors and Alzheimer diseaseA mendelian randomization studyDylan M. Williams, Ida K. Karlsson, Nancy L. Pedersen et al.Neurology, December 27, 2017