A new study by a group of doctors from the University of Arizona shows that older people who lead a sedentary, passive lifestyle such as watching TV have an increased risk of developing dementia. The scientists’ job was: published in the journal PNAS.
At the same time, it turned out that computer use for the elderly is not so dangerous.
“The risk of developing dementia is not affected by time spent in a sitting position, but by the type of sedentary activity done during leisure time. We know from past research that watching TV is associated with lower muscle activity and energy expenditure compared to using a computer or reading. “Although research has shown that prolonged, uninterrupted sitting is associated with reduced blood flow to the brain, the relatively greater intellectual stimulation that occurs during computer use can counteract the negative effects of sitting.”
The team used data on 145,000 Britons from the British Biobank to explore a possible relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia in the elderly. All participants used touchscreen questionnaires to self-report lifestyle information over the period 2006-2010. The scientists selected 3,507 patients who later developed dementia.
Analysis of the data showed that time spent watching TV was associated with an increased risk of dementia, even in people with high physical activity.