A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that spending too much time sitting, even if you work out regularly, may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the research examined how sedentary behavior and physical activity levels relate to cognitive decline. The results are particularly concerning for older adults, especially those with a genetic predisposition to the disease.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 6 million Americans. It is a progressive neurological disorder that causes memory loss, personality changes, and a decline in reasoning and cognitive abilities. While age, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking are established risk factors, researchers are increasingly focusing on lifestyle choices like daily movement—or the lack of it.
In the study, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh tracked 404 adults over 50 for seven years. Participants wore activity-monitoring devices for one week, allowing researchers to estimate their physical activity levels and time spent sitting.
The findings were clear: individuals who spent more time sitting had a higher risk of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, regardless of how much exercise they got. In other words, regular physical activity didn’t fully offset the harms of prolonged sedentary behavior.
The risk was even greater in participants who carried the APOE-e4 gene variant, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Reducing sedentary time may be even more critical to protecting brain health for these individuals.
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