Alzheimer’s and other diseases affect 5% of the total population (nearly 50 million people), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This cognitive decline is still being studied in science. Even more so when it is the parents who are most affected.
Some reports have suggested a direct link between mental health and physical activity, but not a link between sedentary lifestyle and dementia. Now, a study by researchers from the United States, published on July 13, 2022choose this approach.
In the words of neuropsychologist David Bartrés-Faz, consulted by El País, it was “one of the largest samples after 60 years without dementia for 12 years.”
Investigation participants accessed the UK database of the UK Biobank, an entity that investigates public health in the UK.
This tool allowed follow-up and comparison of 146,651 people when they had a mean age of 64.5 years with their situation a decade later.
Respondents answered about the physical activity they do and the time they spend sitting, both watching television and in front of the computer (excluding working hours).
Increased risk of dementia with more TV time
There is a consistent relationship between mental health and a sedentary lifestyle, but not just any kind. The more time you spend in front of the television, there is a 40% higher risk of developing dementia after a decade.
However, the results are not the same as the computer, where the possibility of having dementia down to 20%.
Neuroscientist David Raichlen admits that it’s hard to know why computers are better than TVs: “We know that cognitive demand can benefit the brain and it’s possible that computer use during leisure time is cognitively demanding in a way that counteracts the risk of sitting too long.
To confirm this, “both a more detailed investigation of the mechanism, as well as designing an intervention to determine causality” would be necessary because the results “only (…) detect associations.”
Physical activity is not a problem.
Raichlen’s team also investigated the conditioning factors between physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle (television or computer).
They concluded that “Those who spent more time looking at inch screens had a higher risk of dementia, regardless of the intensity of physical exercise.”
Bartrés-Faz explains it this way: “If you spend hours in front of the television, the risk is not reduced if you go to the gym for an hour afterward. It’s okay to go to the gym, but you also have to stop watching TV”, recalls the lead researcher of the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative.
“Internet trailblazer. Troublemaker. Passionate alcohol lover. Beer advocate. Zombie ninja.”
