Dementia is not an illness in itself, rather it is a neurodegenerative condition associated with several diseases, which affect the brain, cognitive functions, and lead to memory loss. For instance, Alzheimer disease, which is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70% of cases, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since there is no cure for the condition, experts recommend assessing one’s risk factors and working on them to reduce the dangers. A new study highlights a ‘significant’ risk factor which is associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Here are the details…
Study Findings
The study, published in the Journal JAMA, found that elderly people who sit for long periods of time can be at a greater risk of developing dementia, irrespective of the cause.
According to the WHO, dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people globally.
The study looked at data from the UK Biobank, a large database of genetic and health information in the UK, and involved almost 50,000 people aged 60 and above, who had not had a dementia diagnosis.
Also Read: From Memory Loss To Disorganisation, Neurologist Shares Early Signs Of Dementia
Different types of movement, including sleeping and sitting still, were classified by using a type of artificial intelligence known as machine-learning algorithms. The cohort were asked to wear an accelerometer on their wrists for one week.
It was found that 414 participants went on to develop dementia during the course of the research.
The study authors concluded that people who were sedentary for about 10 hours a day had a higher risk of dementia, a number close to what half of the American population spends - over 9.5 hours.
Professor Gene Alexander, one of the study authors said, “We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated.
“This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behaviour and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behaviour, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk,” he added.
But according to the team of researchers, the study is not a basis to prove that a sedentary lifestyle causes dementia. More research is needed to determine the same.
Risk Factors Of Dementia
Dr Aparajita Chatterjee, Consultant Neurology, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, Kolkata, shares common causes and risk factors of dementia. These include:
- Age
- Family history of dementia
- Genetic predisposition
- Head traumas and brain injury
- Subdural hematomas, which is the bleeding between the surface of the brain and the covering over the brain
- Neuro-infections
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Side effects of medications
- Down syndrome
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Excessive smoking and alcoholism, drug abuse
- Primary brain tumours or metastasis
Common Symptoms To Note
Here are some of the common symptoms that may show with dementia:
Cognitive changes:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty in communication
- Difficulty in performing complex tasks
- Unable to plan or organise
- Problems with orientation, such as getting lost
Psychological changes:
- Personality changes
- Inability to reason
- Inappropriate behaviour
- Paranoia
- Hallucination
According to Dr Chatterjee, dementia may affect people differently depending on which area of the brain is affected. But none of the signs must be ignored or taken lightly, as they might lead to rapid deterioration of mental health, she concludes.