Passive sitting, such as watching TV for long periods of time, increases the risk of developing dementia, while mental activity while sitting, on the contrary, protects the brain. The study results were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM).
The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from Sweden, Australia and Brazil. They analyzed data from more than 20,000 Swedish residents between the ages of 35 and 64, who were followed for almost twenty years between 1997 and 2016. Scientists have looked at how different types of sedentary behavior relate to future cognitive health.
Passive sitting, particularly watching TV, has been found to be associated with a higher risk of developing dementia over time. Meanwhile, activities that require mental activity, such as reading, solving puzzles or working on a computer, have shown a protective effect.
According to the study's lead author, Mats Holgren of the Karolinska Institutet, any form of sedentary behavior requires minimal energy expenditure, but it can vary greatly in terms of brain activity. According to scientists, this plays an important role in future cognitive health.
Statistical analysis has shown that every additional hour of mentally active sitting reduces the risk of dementia by about 4%. Replacing an hour of TV watching with an activity that burdens the brain reduces the risk by about 7%. Adding one hour of mental activity to your daily routine, without changing other habits, reduces the risk of dementia by about 11%.
The most obvious effect was seen in middle-aged adults, ages 50 to 64. This suggests that this period may be important for shaping brain health later in life.
