Yesterday 04:22 PM
https://theconversation.com/the-physical...-it-289862
EXCERPT: Physical activity at work, based on the combined data from five studies, was linked to a 20% higher risk. And active commuting, such as walking or cycling, based on just two studies, was linked to a 10% higher risk.
Researchers call this the “physical activity paradox”. It is well documented in heart disease research: physical activity at work fails to deliver the same protective effect as the same activity done during leisure time, and can sometimes increase risk instead. Several explanations have been proposed.
People in physically demanding jobs may have had fewer opportunities for education than people in office jobs. Education and mentally stimulating activities throughout life are linked to greater reserve capacity in the brain – its ability to cope with damage and keep working normally.
[...] Manual workers may also be more likely to work in polluted environments, such as factories or building sites. And commuting, particularly by bicycle or on foot, can mean greater exposure to air pollution. Air pollution has separately been linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Recreational exercise accounts for just 4% of active time in low-income countries, but 28% in high- and middle-income countries. So differences in income may shape the factors that influence dementia risk around the world. The researchers say more research is needed, particularly in low-income countries, to understand what is behind the link between physical activity at work and dementia.
Not all physically demanding jobs are the same. Two physically demanding jobs can involve similar amounts of activity but very different exposures to noise, pollution, stress, heat and other hazards.
These findings point to a deeper inequality: leisure time itself is a resource – one that isn’t distributed evenly. People in low-income countries and those who do physically demanding jobs often have the least opportunity for the kind of activity that seems to protect the brain, while facing the working conditions that may undermine it. Understanding and addressing that imbalance may matter as much for dementia prevention as encouraging people to move more. (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPT: Physical activity at work, based on the combined data from five studies, was linked to a 20% higher risk. And active commuting, such as walking or cycling, based on just two studies, was linked to a 10% higher risk.
Researchers call this the “physical activity paradox”. It is well documented in heart disease research: physical activity at work fails to deliver the same protective effect as the same activity done during leisure time, and can sometimes increase risk instead. Several explanations have been proposed.
People in physically demanding jobs may have had fewer opportunities for education than people in office jobs. Education and mentally stimulating activities throughout life are linked to greater reserve capacity in the brain – its ability to cope with damage and keep working normally.
[...] Manual workers may also be more likely to work in polluted environments, such as factories or building sites. And commuting, particularly by bicycle or on foot, can mean greater exposure to air pollution. Air pollution has separately been linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Recreational exercise accounts for just 4% of active time in low-income countries, but 28% in high- and middle-income countries. So differences in income may shape the factors that influence dementia risk around the world. The researchers say more research is needed, particularly in low-income countries, to understand what is behind the link between physical activity at work and dementia.
Not all physically demanding jobs are the same. Two physically demanding jobs can involve similar amounts of activity but very different exposures to noise, pollution, stress, heat and other hazards.
These findings point to a deeper inequality: leisure time itself is a resource – one that isn’t distributed evenly. People in low-income countries and those who do physically demanding jobs often have the least opportunity for the kind of activity that seems to protect the brain, while facing the working conditions that may undermine it. Understanding and addressing that imbalance may matter as much for dementia prevention as encouraging people to move more. (MORE - missing details)