HEALTHY LIVING


Sitting Too Much Shrinks Your Brain


Study reveals that sedentary behavior may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. ::


BY LYNN C. ALLISON M


ore than 1 in 9 Americans age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. A new study


reveals that increased sedentary behavior, either sitting or lying down, may increase the risk of developing this dreaded disease. Researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Memory and Alzheimer’s Center found that too much sitting, a modifiable behavior, can cause brain shrinkage in areas related to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. According to Study Finds, sitting


time was associated with worse memory and cognitive performance, especially in people with the


APOE-ε4 gene, which is linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Study participants included 404 adults age 50 and older. They wore activity monitors on their nondominant wrist that tracked their movements for seven years. Researchers noticed that those who were the most sedentary,


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even if they exercised, showed greater brain shrinkage compared to the people who were less sedentary. Study subjects who carried the


APOE-ε4 gene had significantly greater reduction in total brain


matter, frontal lobe volume, and parietal lobe volume compared to those who didn’t carry the gene variant. The study was published


in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association and the authors noted that too much sitting leads to neurodegeneration, particularly for aging adults at genetic risk, but it is a risk factor that can be changed. In a statement from Vanderbilt


University Medical Center, lead author Marissa Gogniat, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh and former postdoctoral fellow at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, said: “Reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is not just about


Reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day.


Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s


disease.” — Marissa Gogniat, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh


working out once a day. Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers added that to


keep the brain healthy, it is vital to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and move around to increase overall active time.


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