Researchers have found that increased sedentary behavior -- time spent sitting or lying down -- in older adults was associated with worse cognition and brain shrinkage in areas related to risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

For the study, researchers examined the relationship between sedentary behavior and neurodegeneration among 404 adults ages 50 and older. Study participants wore a watch that measured their activity continuously over the span of a week. Their sedentary time was then related to their cognitive performance and brain scans captured over a seven-year follow-up period.

Participants who spent more time sedentary were more likely to experience cognitive decline and neurodegenerative changes regardless of how much they exercised. These conclusions were stronger in participants who carried the APOE-e4 allele, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that reducing sedentary time may be especially important for older adults who are at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

“Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” said lead author Marissa Gogniat, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

“It is critical to study lifestyle choices and the impact they have on brain health as we age,” added principal author Angela Jefferson, PhD, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. “Our study showed that reducing sitting time could be a promising strategy for preventing neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive decline. It is critical to our brain health to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and move around to increase our active time.”

To read the study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, click here