New findings from researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona show that sitting for long stretches may raise the odds of developing dementia. The study was summarized by SciTechDaily as it explored how daily movement patterns relate to brain health.
Involving more than one hundred thousand participants, the research tracked everyday activity with wearable accelerometers worn continuously for a full week. These lightweight devices log changes in position, providing a detailed record of each person’s movement and inactivity. The goal was to quantify how much people move, and when they remain still, over time.
Six years after the monitoring period ended, 414 participants were diagnosed with dementia. After adjusting for a range of factors such as age, sex, education, and genetics, as well as lifestyle aspects like diet, smoking, and physical activity levels, the data indicated a clear link between sedentary behavior and higher dementia risk.
Researchers noted that risk increases markedly when an individual sits for ten hours or more in a typical day. Even short breaks for activity did not offset this risk if the total daily sitting time reached ten hours, underscoring the importance of overall movement throughout the day.
There is a consensus that more research is needed to determine the exact amount and intensity of activity that can counterbalance the negative effects of long periods of sitting. Such work will help define practical guidelines for people who have desk-heavy jobs or limited opportunities for physical exercise.
Earlier studies have hinted at protective mechanisms in the brain that could help counteract neurodegenerative processes, suggesting a potential path for future interventions against conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how lifestyle choices influence brain health over the long term.