Walking, gardening or doing housework for 30 minutes most days can cut the risk of dementia by more than a third, scientists have found.
A team of researchers in Italy measured the calories burnt by more than 700 pensioners each day and found those who were most active were least likely to develop vascular dementia, in which the blood vessels that feed the brain become damaged and lead to mental decline.
Those sticking to guidelines of walking for 30 minutes on at least four days a week were 39 per cent less likely to develop the condition.
Vascular dementia is the second most common form of mental decline after Alzheimer's disease. There are about 700,000 people with dementia in Britain and the vascular form of the condition accounts for 17 per cent of cases.
Symptoms include problems with concentration, memory difficulties, depression, seizures and confusion.
The research, published in the journal Neurology, studied 749 men and women in Italy, aged over 65 and without memory problems, for four years. By the end of the study, 54 people developed Alzheimer's disease and 27 developed vascular dementia.
