Sitting more than 10 hours a day “linked to higher risk of dementia”

Older people who spend more than 10 hours a day sitting or inactive may be at increased risk of developing dementia, research suggests.

Experts said it doesn’t matter whether time spent sitting is over a long period or intermittently throughout the day, because both have a similar effect on dementia risk.

However, in their findings, published in the journal Jama, the team said that being inactive for less than 10 hours was not associated with an increased risk of developing the disease, which “provides some reassurance to those among us.” us who work in an office that involves prolonged periods of activity.” session”.

Study author Gene Alexander, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Arizona’s Evelyn F McKnight Brain Institute and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in the United States Unis, said: “We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to increase rapidly after 10 hours spent in a sedentary position each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated.

“This suggests that it is the total time spent in a sedentary position that determines the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but it is important to note that lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk.”

In England, working age adults spend on average around 9.5 hours per day of sedentary time.

This includes watching television, using a computer, reading, doing homework, and traveling by car, bus, or train, but does not include sleep.

Between the ages of 65 and 74, the average sedentary time for both men and women increases to 10 hours a day or more, according to figures from the British Heart Foundation.

For the study, researchers looked at data from more than 49,000 people aged 60 and over from the UK Biobank, an online database of the medical and lifestyle records of half a million people. British.

These people did not have dementia at the start of the study and were followed for more than six years, using wrist-worn devices to track their movements.

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Using a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning algorithms, the researchers classified different types of movements, including between sleeping and sitting.

During the study, 414 people developed dementia.

Taking into account lifestyle factors that could affect brain health – such as diet, tobacco and alcohol use, and self-reported mental health – and demographics such as age, gender, education level, ethnicity, chronic diseases and genetics, the team found that a prolonged lack of movement was linked to an increased risk of dementia.

David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of California’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and also an author of the study, said: “Many of us are familiar with the common advice to Break up long periods of sitting by getting up every 30 minutes or so to stand or walk.

“We wanted to see if these types of patterns were associated with dementia risk.

“We found that once you take into account the total time spent sedentary, the length of individual sedentary periods doesn’t really matter.”

The authors said more research is needed to see if physical activity can reduce the risk of dementia.

Meanwhile, another study, published in the journal Jama Network Open, found that untreated high blood pressure was associated with a higher risk of dementia.

The research, which consisted of an analysis of data from 14 different studies and involving more than 34,000 people aged 60 and over, showed that people with untreated high blood pressure had a 42% increased risk of dementia by compared to healthy people and a 26% increased risk compared to healthy people. with those who have received treatment for this disease.