Long sittings may cause risk of dementia. Scientists have issued a warning to those who spend a lot of time doing sedentary activities, claiming that they are more likely to develop dementia.
The study, published in the journal JAMA, considered how people over 60 who spend a significant amount of time — more than 10 hours — sitting watching television or driving, for example, may be increasing their risk of developing this disease.
For the study, experts used an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to analyze data from 50,000 adults over the age of 60. These people did not have dementia when the study began.
Scientists were able to determine sedentary activities with the help of AI systems.
After an average of six years of follow-up, scientists discovered that 414 of the participants had the neurological condition by reviewing their medical records.
They discovered that sedentary behavior was associated with an increased risk of dementia after making various adjustments.
They did, however, note that certain levels of sedentary behavior were not associated with dementia.
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As long sittings may cause risk of dementia, the study author Gene Alexander from the University of Arizona said: “We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated.”
Dr Alexander added: “This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk.”
For a better understanding of the link and prevention, experts have called for more research to determine whether physical activity can help reduce the risk of the disease.
The findings, according to scientists, “should provide some reassurance to those of us with office jobs that involve prolonged periods of sitting, as long as we limit our total daily time spent sedentary.”
Dementia is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to the point where it interferes with daily life and activities.
Some dementia patients are unable to control their emotions, and their personalities may shift.
