Monday 05/January/2026 – 11:50 PM
According to the study published in the medical journal Neurology, people whose physical and mental activity peak late in the day, especially after 2:15 p.m., are more susceptible to infection. With dementia By up to 45% compared to those whose activity peaks earlier.
Late peak activity increases dementia risk by 45%
The researchers explained that the study relied on analyzing data for more than 2,000 participants, whose daily activity patterns were tracked via monitoring devices, and 176 of them were later diagnosed with dementia.
The results showed that people with a weak or distorted circadian rhythm, which is the biological clock that regulates sleep, wakefulness, hormones, and body temperature, were up to two and a half times more likely to develop dementia compared to those with a regular daily rhythm.
Wendy Wang, the study’s author, said that changes in circadian rhythms with age may be a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, noting that a delayed peak in activity may reflect an imbalance between the body’s biological clock and environmental factors such as light and darkness.
She added that disruption of the circadian rhythm may affect vital processes within the body, such as inflammation and sleep quality, which may contribute to increased deposition of amyloid plaques in the brain, which is one of the signs associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The study showed that only 7% of people with early activity developed dementia, compared to 10% of people with late activity, a difference that the researchers considered to have important medical significance.
Although the study did not take sleep disorders directly into account, the researchers emphasized that the relationship between sleep and cognitive functions is scientifically proven, calling for more research on the role of preventive interventions, such as light therapy and lifestyle modification, in reducing the risk of dementia.
