As muscle strength decreases, chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases, according to research by Rush University Medical Center.

970 adults with an average age of 80 engaged in a series of strength and cognition tests. The subjects’ strength was rated in units, and ranged from -1.6 to 3.3. For each one-unit increase in strength measured at the beginning of the study, researchers found a corresponding 43% decrease in the likelihood of that subject developing Alzheimer’s over the course of the roughly 3.6 year follow-up period. The strongest 10% were 61% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the weakest 10%, according to the report.

The report appears in the November issue of the journal Archives of Neurology.

I lift weights 3x a week. So I am hopeful. You should start lifting if you don’t already.