Couch Potatoes Have Greater Risk Of Brain Decline, Even If They Exercise

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 19, 2025 — Couch potatoes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, even if they set aside time to work out each day, a new study says.

People who spent more time sitting around were more likely to experience cognitive decline and brain degeneration, no matter how much they exercised, researchers reported May 13 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

“Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” lead researcher Marissa Gogniat, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a news release.

“Minimizing the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” she added.

For the study, her team tracked activity levels for more than 400 adults 50 and older, using watches that measured their movement continuously for a week.

The team then followed people for an average seven-year follow-up period.

More sedentary time was linked to brain shrinkage and worse performance on memory and information processing tests, researchers found.

This increased risk occurred even though 87% of the people met the weekly physical activity recommendations set forth by the U.S. government, results show.

This shows that sitting around could be an independent Alzheimer’s risk factor, and that exercise will not mitigate all the harmful effects of sedentary behavior, researchers said.

The link between sedentary time and cognitive decline was stronger in people who carried the APOE-e4 genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, researchers added.

“Our study showed that reducing sitting time could be a promising strategy for preventing neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive decline,” said senior researcher Angela Jefferson, founding director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center in Nashville, Tenn.

“It is critical to our brain health to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and move around to increase our active time,” she added in a news release.

Future study should focus on figuring out why sitting around might contribute to brain decline, researchers said.

Sources

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center, news release, May 12, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-05-20 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords