The number of daily steps you take may delay Alzheimer’s progression

(CNN) — Increasing the number of steps you take every day may slow cognitive decline in older adults who already have biological signs of early Alzheimer’s disease , according to a new observational study.

The presence of beta amyloid and tau proteins are hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s. Amyloid can begin to accumulate in the spaces between neurons as early as one’s 30s, potentially affecting communication between brain cells. As amyloid deposits grow, they can lead to a rapid spread of abnormal tau proteins , which form tangles inside brain cells, thus killing them.

“Physical activity may help slow the buildup of tau — the protein most closely linked to memory loss — and delay cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s,” said lead study author Dr. Wai-Ying Wendy Yau, a ne