Recent scientific research has revealed that sitting for long periods of time can significantly increase the risk of developing dementia, with people who spend more than eight hours a day in a sitting position increasing their risk of developing dementia by up to 27%.
Researchers at York University in Canada conducted an extensive analysis involving data from millions of adults aged 35 and older, aiming to study the effects of physical activity, prolonged sitting, and sleep patterns on brain health.
The study was based on a review of 69 previous studies that followed cognitively healthy people over many years to see which of them later developed dementia, allowing researchers to better understand the factors associated with the development of the disease, according to the Daily Mail.
A study published in the journal PLOS One found that sitting for more than a full day increases the risk of dementia, even for people who engage in regular physical activity.
However, this study shows that regular exercise can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 25%, supporting the importance of physical activity in maintaining brain health.
Sleep has also been shown to play an important role, with moderation shown to be the decisive factor, with less than 7 hours of sleep a day increasing the risk of infection by 18%, while sleeping more than 8 hours increased the risk by 28%.
Lead researcher Akinkunle Oye Somefan said: “Regular exercise and quality sleep not only influence your day-to-day mood, but may also contribute to long-term brain protection.”
He added that even in physically active people, prolonged sitting is an independent risk factor, stressing the need for further research to better understand this relationship.
It is estimated that approximately 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, and with limited treatments available, this number is expected to increase further in the coming years, making prevention through lifestyle changes critical.
Research supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK suggests that up to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by addressing lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and social isolation.
The researchers emphasized that dementia progresses over decades and that daily habits such as exercise, sleep and social interactions play a key role in determining the level of risk.
They advised following simple steps for prevention, such as increasing daily movement, walking more, reducing the amount of time spent sitting, exercising regularly, getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each day, and maintaining mental activity and social communication.
Recent scientific research has found that sitting for long periods of time can significantly increase the risk of developing dementia, with people who spend more than eight hours a day sitting in a sitting position increasing their chances of developing dementia by up to 27%.
Researchers at York University in Canada conducted an extensive analysis involving data from millions of adults aged 35 and older, aiming to study the effects of physical activity, prolonged sitting, and sleep patterns on brain health.
The study was based on a review of 69 previous studies that followed cognitively healthy people over many years to identify those who later developed dementia, and provided a deeper understanding of the factors associated with disease progression, according to the Daily Mail.
A study published in the journal PLOS One found that sitting for more than a full day increases the risk of dementia, even for people who engage in regular physical activity.
Conversely, this study showed that regular exercise reduced the risk of developing dementia by up to 25%, highlighting the importance of physical activity in maintaining brain health.
They also found that sleep played a key role, with less than seven hours of sleep a day increasing the risk by 18%, while sleeping eight hours or more increased the risk by 28%, showing that moderation is a key factor.
Lead researcher Akinkonley Oye-Somifan said regular exercise and quality sleep not only influence everyday emotions, but may also contribute to long-term brain protection.
He added that sitting for long periods of time is an independent risk factor, even in physically active people, and stressed the need for further research to better understand this relationship.
The number of people living with dementia worldwide is estimated to be approximately 55 million, and with limited treatments available, this number is expected to increase in the coming years, making prevention through lifestyle changes critical.
Research supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK shows that up to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by addressing lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and social isolation.
Researchers confirmed that dementia progresses over decades and that daily habits such as exercise, sleep and social interactions play a key role in determining the level of risk.
They recommend taking simple preventative measures such as increasing daily movement, walking more, sitting less, exercising regularly, getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each day, and maintaining mental activity and social communication.
