People over the age of 60 who are sedentary for long periods of time are at increased risk of developing dementia. That’s according to a new study by researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona.

About 6.5 million people over the age of 65 in the United States will have Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, according to Alzheimer’s Association statistics. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and includes vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia.

This study utilizes self-reported data from the UK Biobank, a biomedical database covering over 500,000 participants across the UK. This study examines whether there is a relationship between dementia and sedentary activity. We took into account the questionnaire responses of over 145,000 participants.

One of the big takeaways from this research is that caregivers can play a role in keeping older people engaged, which in turn reduces the risk of dementia in the long term.

The study found that the risk of dementia was reduced among older adults who were mentally active in a sedentary state, such as reading a book.

“The type of sedentary activity undertaken during leisure time, not the amount of time spent sitting per se, influences dementia risk,” said one of the study’s authors, a professor of biosciences and anthropology at USC Dornlife. Professor David Raichlen said. The University of Arts and Sciences said at a press conference.

Raichlen also points out that activities like watching television have lower levels of muscle activity and energy compared to using a computer.

“Studies have shown that sitting for long periods reduces blood flow to the brain, but the relatively large amount of intellectual stimulation that occurs during computer use may offset the negative effects of sitting.” There is a possibility

Another notable finding was that the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk remained present in physically active older adults.

“We know that physical activity is good for brain health, but many of us think that just getting more physical activity during the day can counteract the negative effects of sitting,” the study said. Gene Alexander, one of the authors of said he is a professor of psychology at the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Arizona. “Our findings suggest that the brain effects of sitting during leisure activities are quite independent of the degree of physical activity.”

Ultimately, the findings of this study serve as a reminder for home care companies and their caregivers to look for opportunities to incorporate mentally-engaging activities into care delivery plans.