<p>For years, researchers have believed prolonged sitting could raise dementia risk — but new findings suggest the type of sitting may matter more than previously thought.</p><p>The research, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in March, found that replacing mentally passive sedentary behavior with mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk.</p><p>Mentally active sedentary behaviors could include <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/warding-off-dementia-reading-praying-listening-music-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reading, office work</a> and other activities that keep the brain engaged while sitting, while mentally passive behaviors may include watching television or other low-engagement screen activities.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/neurologist-heres-why-dementia-rising-how-reduce-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>'I'M A NEUROLOGIST — HERE'S WHY DEMENTIA IS RISING AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK’</strong></a></p><p>To gather the findings, Swedish researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults between ages 35 and 64 who were tracked over a 19-year period, between 1997 and 2016, according to a press release.</p><p>Participants answered questions about their sitting habits, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/nutrition-and-fitness/fitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physical activity</a> and other lifestyle behaviors, while dementia diagnoses were identified using Swedish health and death records.</p><p>Mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with "a significant reduction in dementia risk" compared to more passive sitting activities.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><u>CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES</u></strong></a></p><p>Although the study was based in Sweden, the release said the findings "are likely generalizable to a wider global population" and could help "inform <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public health</a> guidelines and preventive strategies to reduce dementia."</p><p>In a statement, lead researcher Dr. Mats Hallgren of Sweden's Karolinska Institute said the study highlighted major distinctions between passive and mentally engaging sedentary habits when it comes to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/brain-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brain health</a>.</p><p>"While all sitting involves minimal energy expenditure, it may be differentiated by the level of brain activity," said Hallgren.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/lifestyle/quizzes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ</strong></a></p><p>"How we use our brains while we are sitting appears to be a crucial determinant of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/brain-training-sessions-found-reduce-dementia-risk-decades-long-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">future cognitive functioning</a> and, as we have shown, may predict dementia onset."</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER</u></strong></a></p><p>Sedentary behavior is a "ubiquitous but modifiable risk factor for many <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">health conditions</a>, including dementia," according to the researcher.</p><p>"Our study adds the observation that not all sedentary behaviors are equivalent; some may increase the risk of dementia, while others may be protective," he added. "It is important to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/alzheimers-risk-declines-sharply-one-daily-lifestyle-change-researchers-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remain physically active</a> as we age, but also mentally active — especially when we are sitting."</p><p>The CDC projects that by 2060, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/dementia-risk-people-55-older-has-doubled-new-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly 14 million American adults</a> will have Alzheimer's disease.</p><p>One recent study published by the Alzheimer's Association found that a person's <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/age-blood-could-predict-dementia-risk-new-study-suggests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biological age</a> may be tied to dementia risk.</p><p>Researchers also recently found that a higher intake of unprocessed meat may <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/popular-diet-tied-lower-dementia-risk-groups-study-reveals://" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protect against dementia</a> in older people who have a variant of a certain gene.</p>
