Avoid prolonged sitting: Insights from a new dementia study

Emerging research highlights the importance of limiting sedentary habits in older adults, aged 60 and above, to reduce the risk of dementia.

The study reveals that individuals who spend more than 10 hours per day mostly sitting, like watching TV, working or sitting while driving, have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.

This finding holds particular significance since the average American already spends around 9.5 hours in a sedentary state daily.

Understanding the study

The study emphasizes that the total time spent sedentary per day plays a more critical role than how that sedentary time is distributed throughout the day.

Whether you have prolonged sitting sessions or several shorter ones, both scenarios can have a similar impact on dementia risk.

Scientists gathered data from the U.K. Biobank, a comprehensive biomedical database, and monitored over 100,000 people aged 60 or oldere who didn't have dementia at the study's commencement.

Advanced computing techniques were employed to analyze the collected data.

After approximately six years of follow-up, the researchers identified 414 cases of dementia among these people.

Their analysis concluded that the risk of dementia increases significantly after 10 hours of this passive behavior per day, regardless of how that sedentary time is distributed.

The significance

This research underscores the importance of reducing overall sedentary time each day.

Even individuals with office jobs that entail extended periods of sitting can benefit from limiting their sedentary behavior.

Further experiments are needed to determine if increased physical activity can provide additional benefits in lowering the risk of dementia.
 

• Related news:
• research
• sitting
• dementia
• seniors
• health
• 3 November 2023

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