Regular exercise and about seven hours of sleep nightly could protect brain health in the long term, according to a study published in PLOS One. Long bouts of sedentary behavior may increase dementia risk. Simple lifestyle changes could reduce a person’s risk of late-onset dementia by as much as 25%, a reduction “fairly comparable to the effect sizes sometimes seen with medications for chronic diseases,” according to Akinkunle Oye-Somefun, who led the study at York University in Toronto.
About 1 in 9 people in the United States will develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, meaning average overall risk is about 11%. With the suggested lifestyle changes, average risk decreases to about 8%.
Breaking Up Sitting Had Greatest Impact
Breaking up longer periods of sitting had the greatest effect on dementia risk. The study analyzed data from 69 studies that included nearly 3 million people over eight decades, with average participant age of 67 years, all residing in high-income countries. Studies followed people for at least one year, sometimes as long as 11 years, measuring how sleeping, sitting, and activity habits starting at age 35 affected later dementia risk.
Sitting for more than eight hours daily increased dementia risk by almost 30%, while regularly being active—even just daily walks—decreased dementia risk by an average of 25%. Long periods of sitting also increase propensity for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, all raising dementia risk. However, “many people assume that being physically active cancels out the harm of sitting for long periods. It doesn’t,” Oye-Somefun said.
Sleep Optimization
Seventeen studies in the analysis focused on sleep. The sweet spot for brain health was getting between seven and eight hours each night. Sleeping less than seven hours increased dementia risk by 18%, while sleeping more than eight hours increased risk by 28%. Sleep allows the brain’s glymphatic system to clean out waste like beta-amyloid that accumulates during waking hours. Spending the right amount of time in different sleep cycle stages, such as REM, helps the brain consolidate memories. Additionally, quality sleep improves ability to manage stress, eat well, and maintain exercise routines—factors supporting overall brain health.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/these-simple-lifestyle-changes-could-decrease-dementia-risk-81986319