Scientists from the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona found that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of dementia. Research results published In PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
More than one hundred thousand people participated in the research. The scientists monitored the subjects’ mobility for a week using accelerometers (devices that act as sensors for changes in the position of an object in space). After recording the data obtained, the observation phase of the volunteers, which lasted six years, began.
During this time, 414 people developed dementia. Scientists noted that the likelihood of contracting this disease increases rapidly if a person remains in a sitting position for 10 hours or more a day. This correlation persisted after adjustments were made for age, gender, education level, genetics, and lifestyle characteristics (physical activity, nutrition, bad habits).
It was also found that physical activity breaks did not reduce the risk of dementia if the total sitting time was 10 hours.
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