Mind & Mood
Sitting many hours per day linked to higher dementia risk
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Too much sitting is not good for the brain. But how much sedentary time is too much? According to a study published online Sept. 12, 2023, by JAMA, remaining physically inactive for 10 or more hours per day is linked to a higher risk of later developing dementia.
For the study, 50,000 people (average age 67, about 45% of whom were men) who were free of dementia wore a wrist accelerometer 24 hours a day for one week to track their daily moving time. After the average of six years of follow up, the researchers checked to see which participants had been diagnosed with dementia and correlated that information with the activity readings from the start of the study. They found that people who had been inactive for at least 10 hours per day had a higher risk of dementia than those who spent more time moving.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
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