Is Sitting Too Long Really a Trigger for Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that commonly affects the elderly, characterized by a decline in memory function. Alzheimer’s patients often experience difficulties in daily activities, such as losing direction, struggling to complete simple tasks, and difficulty in communicating with others.

Physical activity has been proven to enhance memory, aid in the thinking process, and reduce anxiety and depression. However, as reported by Everyday Health, a recent study suggests that for the elderly, regular exercise alone is not enough to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, they also need to reduce their sitting time.

“Often, people think that being physically active is sufficient,” said Marissa Gogniat, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Despite decades of research showing the health benefits of exercise, she stated that the impact of prolonged sitting is still not fully understood, even for those who are physically active.

“Although the study participants were sufficiently physically active, their sitting time remains a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s,” Gogniat said.
Sitting Too Long Proven to Trigger Cognitive Decline

In a study, about 400 people aged 50 and above were asked to wear a device like a wristwatch that monitored their physical activities 24 hours a day for 10 consecutive days.

Approximately 20 percent of the participants already showed mild cognitive impairment symptoms from the beginning, a condition that potentially progresses to dementia. Those with severe conditions such as heart failure, advanced dementia, or mental disorders were not included in this study.

Interestingly, 87 percent of the participants met the minimal physical activity standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. However, the observations over 7 years revealed a different reality.

Participants who spent more time sitting (excluding sleeping time) tended to experience a decline in cognitive function and brain damage, including disturbances in memory and information processing speed. This occurred regardless of how much they exercised.

The cognitive decline and nerve damage were even more pronounced in participants carrying the Alzheimer’s risk gene, APOE-e4. According to Gogniat, routine blood tests can identify the presence of this gene. The researchers concluded that “sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.”
How Long is Too Long to Sit?

However, the researchers did not specify exactly how long sitting time can cause cognitive decline.

An assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing in Cleveland, Carli Carnish, mentioned that generally, there is no specific number for how long is too much sitting.

But the longer you sit, the weaker your muscles tend to become, making it increasingly difficult to stay active, she explained. “I always tell my patients, ‘If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,'” Carnish said. This could quickly become a downward cycle for older people.

Older individuals may also have mobility issues or physical limitations. “Some adults may need to spend more time sitting than others,” said Constance Katsafanas, a neurologist at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute affiliated with Baptist Health South Florida in Boca Raton.

The study participants were recruited from the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The majority were quite active, in good health, more than half were male, and 85 percent were non-Hispanic white.

Therefore, the results of this study may not necessarily be generalized to the entire population. Additionally, the researchers did not observe what activities the participants engaged in while sitting – whether reading, doing puzzles, or just daydreaming. This will be the focus of future research, considering previous studies have shown that mental activities like doing puzzles can slow down cognitive decline.

“Logically, it’s better to sit while doing things that stimulate the mind rather than empty daydreaming,” Gogniat explained.