The verb boggle means to overwhelm or bewilder, such as with complexity or abnormality1.
Mind-boggling refers to something that is emotionally exciting and utterly overwhelming to the mind or extremely difficult to understand or comprehend123.
Could just sitting around increase your Alzheimer’s risk?
Scientists say yes – Search Images
Story by Julia Musto – Search
Could constantly sitting and lying down lead to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis down the line?
Researchers now say such behavior could increase the risk of the disease that contributes to the deaths of more than 120,000 Americans every year and nearly 7 million people are affected by it.
“Our study showed that reducing sitting time could be a promising strategy for preventing neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive decline,” Dr. Angela Jefferson, a professor of neurology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said in a statement.
Jefferson was one of the co-authors of the findings, alongside, the University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. Marissa Gogniat.
The research, funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging, was published Tuesday in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
To reach these conclusions, the authors analyzed the relationship between sedentary behavior and progressive nerve damage around the brain among more than 400 adults who were at least 50 years old.
The participants wore a watch that measured their activity each week and researchers then took scans of their brains and assessed their cognitive performance. The study was conducted over the course of seven years.
Participants who spent more time sedentary were more likely to experience cognitive decline and neurodegenerative changes — no matter how much they exercised.
“Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” said Gogniat. “Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”
Furthermore, those who carried the APOE-e4 allele, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, were even more likely to face those outcomes.
The APOE gene is involved in making a protein that helps carry cholesterol and other types of fat in the bloodstream. Issues that occur in this process are thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s.
The study’s findings add to previous research tying sedentary behavior to dementia. IN 2023, the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation said that older men and women who sat for more than 10 hours a day had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Experts advised people to get up every 30 minutes to stand and walk around.
Sedentary behavior has long been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. Sitting for too long can disrupt blood flow to the brain, according to Texas Health.
“It is critical to our brain health to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and move around to increase our active time,” said Jefferson.
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.
Some healthy habits to incorporate to help reduce your risks of Alzheimer’s and dementia include:
- Engage in mentally stimulating activities.
- Treat or manage metabolic conditions.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Be physically active.
- Maintain social connections.
- Prioritize quality sleep.
- Manage stress.
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake.
READ: Eating for Your Brain as a Senior.
Study reveals sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease
Stephanie Bryan is an accomplished researcher, professor and author with a PhD in Health Science, master’s degree in Exercise Science and an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Health. Her life and career reflect an enduring commitment to the improvement of health and well-being from a mind, body, spirit perspective, with a deep interest in enhancing the lives of the underserved.
As a certified yoga teacher, health and fitness leader, researcher and professor, Dr. Bryan is dedicated to providing accessible, actionable research-based information to her students and the community at large. Earlier in her career, Stephanie worked in corporate and commercial fitness, owned, and operated a yoga and fitness studio and began teaching in higher education.
Informed by her formal education, work experiences and research inquiry, Dr. Bryan continues to develop and teach graduate and undergraduate courses in exercise science, health, and complementary therapies while pursuing health management solutions from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective.
The development of a children’s picture book series is Dr. Bryan’s latest endeavor, with the overarching goal of introducing the science and practice of accessible health behavior habits to children and their caregivers to enhance resilience and well-being.
Researchers found that increased sedentary behavior in aging adults was associated with worse cognition and brain shrinkage in areas related to risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
More than 6 million Americans are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh are discovering how lifestyle habits can impact the likelihood of developing the disease.
According to a new research study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers found that increased sedentary behavior, time spent sitting or lying down, in aging adults was associated with worse cognition and brain shrinkage in areas related to risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Angela Jefferson, PhD – Search
The research study was led by Marissa Gogniat, PhD, assistant professor of Neurology at Pitt and former postdoctoral fellow at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, and co-authored by Angela Jefferson, PhD, professor of Neurology and founding director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center at VUMC.
The team of researchers examined the relationship between sedentary behavior and neurodegeneration among 404 adults age 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 theAPOE-e4allele, 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 Gogniat. “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,” said Jefferson, who holds the Herbert O. and Vineta Christopher Directorship. “Our study showed that reducing sitting time could be a promising strategy for preventing neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive decline. This research highlights the importance of reducing sitting time, particularly among aging adults at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease. It is critical to our brain health to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and move around to increase our active time.” The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging.
What Causes Dementia?
We don’t know exactly. What actually causes dementia is a difficult question. There is an infinite number of factors that singly or in combination may increase the risk for, or are associated with having dementia. To add to the mind-boggling complexity, each of us is the outcome of a unique collection of genes, lifestyle behaviors, and environmental exposures.
Similar to the word “cancer” the word “dementia” is an umbrella term that includes many kinds of dementia.And again, similar to cancer, the dementias share certain characteristics such as memory loss, but also have one’s specific to a particular type of dementia. For example, Alzheimer’s disease tends to have a slow progression and vascular dementia tends to progress with bursts of increased disability.
In the case of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, the answer might be less complicated than it is for other kinds of dementia. Scientists have identified genes that appear to cause the kind of dementia that strikes people younger than 65-years of age. People who have early-onset dementia genes can pass the trait on to their children. However, even these findings open the door to more questions. Do the early-onset genes actually cause the disease or do they increase the risk to the extent that makes having early-onset dementia a given? Perhaps the relationship between genetics and this form of dementia involves other genes and factors that, in combination, cause early-onset dementia.
Genetics may or may not play a role in the onset of other kinds of dementia. For example, approximately 15 to 40 percent of people who have frontotemporal lobe degeneration have a family history that includes at least one other relative who also has or had this kind of dementia. However, only 10 percent of these individuals have a form of disease attributable to specific genes. This means that for 90 percent of cases, scientists have yet to discover genes that increase the risk of having Frontotemporal lobe dementia.
Although one cannot change their genetics, it is possible to reduce the risk for dementia by modifying certain lifestyle behaviors.
There are many lifestyle behaviors that appear to increase risk for dementia. Some of these include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and lack of regular exercise. Social isolation, not having meaningful friendships, also appears to increase the risk for dementia. Another risk factor is not having the mental stimulation that comes with acquiring new skills and knowledge.
The good news is one can choose to reduce the likelihood of dementia by losing weight, eating a healthy diet, refrain from or stop smoking, exercising, as well as by attending community center activities, or taking classes at a local college or university.
Unlike behavioral changes, it’s difficult to impossible to avoid environmental risk factors. While one can make efforts to avoid environmental toxins such as second-hand smoke, it’s not possible to avoid the fumes that come from car exhaust or from certain kinds of building materials.
Over the past 50 years, there has been a dramatic change in the 10 leading causes of death. Deaths caused by acute infectious diseases and accidents have given way to lingering diseases such as cancer and dementia – both of which tend to occur later in life. Therefore, for many people, advanced age is their biggest risk factor for having dementia.
Content Contributor: Janet Yagoda Shagam, Ph.D., is a freelance medical and science writer and the author of “An Unintended Journey: A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia.”, available through Amazon. Please visit our Author’s page to learn more and find this title.
Alzheimer’s Disease-Type Dementia The opinions expressed by contributing authors are not necessarily the opinions of the Dementia Society, Inc. We do not endorse nor guarantee products, comments, suggestions, links, or other forms of the content contained within blog posts- that have been provided to us with permission, or otherwise.
The Dementia Society does not provide medical advice, please consult your doctor. www.DementiaSociety.org
At Every Turn, Choose Togetherness: Dealing with Loneliness in Dementia
Normal Aging or Something More? Understanding Cognitive Symptoms
Life is Short, Eat Dessert First: Food, Eating and Dementia
How to Distinguish Lewy Body Dementia From Other Types
Finding Ways to Reduce the Stress of Caregiving
Drinking and Dementia: What is the Connection?
The Best Nutrients for Mental Health
Understanding Behaviors and Emotions
Dementia is Not a Specific Disease
Risk for Dementia: Head Trauma