What you do while sitting impacts dementia risk

It is well established that leading a sedentary lifestyle can be a factor in developing dementia later on. But now research is showing that what you do while sitting affects your dementia risk even further.

Adults aged 60 and older who sit for long periods watching TV or doing other passive activities may be at an increased risk of developing dementia, a study has found.

But participating in more active pursuits while sitting, such as using a computer, correlated to a reduced risk of developing dementia.

Read: Common virus may be Alzheimer’s trigger

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also revealed that the link between sedentary behaviour and dementia risk was present even among participants who were otherwise physically active.

The study looked at the medical records of more than 145,000 people aged 60 or over who didn’t have a dementia diagnosis at the beginning of the study.

Over an average 12-year follow-up period, researchers found 3507 positive dementia diagnoses among the participants.

Read: Everyday behaviours that could be signs of dementia

The data was adjusted for certain demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, employment type, etc) and lifestyle characteristics (exercise levels, smoking and alcohol use, time spent sleeping and engaging in social contact) that could affect brain health.

Although we know that physical activity is good for our brain health, many of us think that if we are just more physically active during the day, we can counter the negative effects of time spent sitting,” says Professor Gene Alexander, co-author of the study.

“Our findings suggest that the brain impacts of sitting during our leisure activities are really separate from how physically active we are,” he says.

Read: Single brain scan can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease

“Being more mentally active, like when using computers, may be a key way to help counter the increased risk of dementia related to more passive sedentary behaviours, like watching TV.”

It makes sense. We exercise our bodies to keep them in shape, and it appears we need to exercise our brains regularly as well.

How much TV do you watch each night? Do you ever do other activities while resting? Let us know in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues aand is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.

If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.