A study has found that watching TV may increase the risk of dementia in the elderly

The Washington Post – How adults over 60 spend their time sitting – what they do while sitting, for example – makes a difference in their chances of developing dementia, according to research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study indicates that those who spend their time sitting mostly spend watching Television They have a 24% higher risk of developing dementia, while computer users have a 15% lower risk.

The researchers explained that watching television is a negative cognitive activity that requires a little thought during it. At the same time, the computer is cognitively active, which means that it is, as in readingMore intellectually stimulating.

For both groups of study participants, the likelihood of sedentary-related dementia persisted, regardless of how much physical activity they did at other times of the day. Previous research has already indicated benefits physical exercise in reducing the risk of cognitive loss and dementia.

Dementia, which is not considered a normal part of aging, is an umbrella term to refer to a group of symptoms — memory loss, confusion, problems with speech and reasoning, and behavioral changes — that worsen over time and affect an individual’s daily activities. life.

a Alzheimer’s disease It is the most common type of dementia. Today, the disease affects about 1.2 million Brazilians, according to the Ministry of Health, and more than 50 million people worldwide.

The survey was conducted on more than 146,000 adults over the age of 60 who did not show signs of dementia when they were interviewed. After more than 12 years of follow-up, nearly 3,500 volunteers showed signs of disease.

Thus, the study concluded that “reducing cognitively inactive behaviors, such as watching television, and increasing cognitively active behaviors, such as computer use, even minimally, can have an important impact on individuals’ risk of dementia, regardless of participation in activities.” physical.