New numbers out Wednesday predict an explosion in Alzheimer's disease in this country. 

An estimated 10 million baby boomers, one in every eight, will develop the disease. New treatments are years away but there is striking evidence people can take steps to prevent the memory-robbing disease. 

To prevent Alzheimer's, the compelling evidence points to physical exercise. Several large studies have shown that people who stay physically active are less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Now, scientists are saying it is no coincidence.

Researchers bred mice to develop the specific kind of plaque in the brain seen in Alzheimer's disease. Some mice were allowed to exercise. Some were not. The autopsy results were stunning: The brains of sedentary mice, as expected, were riddled with those harmful plaques. The physically active mice had 50 to 80 percent less plaques.

Further tests revealed that the exercise had produced twice as much of a chemical in the brain that prevents plaque buildup. And more of these tiny blood vessels for plaques to escape. 

Any exercise that raises your heart rate for 30 to 45 minutes, at least several times a week, can lower your risk of Alzheimer's said the study. And the more the exercise, the lower the risk. 

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