The risk of dementia for people over 65 can be significantly reduced through simple moderate exercise such as climbing the stairs or even walking regularly, according to a new Italian study.

The study monitored the weekly activities of 749 men and women over the course of four years. None of the participants had any memory problems at the start of the study. Upon conclusion of the study, 54 people had developed Alzheimer's and 27 had developed vascular dementia. After Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia is the most common form of dementia.

 articipants who spent a lot of energy performing moderate activities were 29% less likely to develop vascular dementia than those who did not perform many activities.