Mind & Mood
Long hours sitting can raise dementia odds despite exercise
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Don't take this news sitting down: Even people who exercise regularly face higher risks of dementia if they sit for much of the day, a new study suggests.
The study, published online Sept. 12, 2023, by JAMA, analyzed data collected from nearly 50,000 older adults (average age 67, 55% women) who didn't have a dementia diagnosis at the study's start. For nearly three years, they wore wrist accelerometers that tracked when they were moving or sedentary during the day. Seven years later, researchers checked the participants' medical records to determine which of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia.
People who sat for an average of at least 10 hours a day during the activity-tracking phase had an 8% higher risk of later developing dementia compared with those who had sat for fewer hours. And people who'd averaged at least 12 hours a day sitting were 63% likelier to develop dementia than those who'd spent less than 10 hours daily in a chair. Furthermore, exercise didn't seem to change those odds, since among people who sat for 10 hours or more daily, those who worked out were as prone to dementia as those who exercised very little.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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