More daylight linked to lower chance of dementia: Study

( NewsNation ) — People who are exposed to more light during the day could have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a new study .

The research, published in General Psychiatry, revealed that there is a connection between daylight exposure and a lower risk of dementia over time. The study, however, does not prove that sunlight itself stops or prevents the disease from happening.

Dementia is reportedly the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, impacting a person’s memory, thinking, reasoning and ability to perform everyday activities.

Because dementia currently has no cure, researchers have continued to investigate possible protective factors and habits that could help reduce the risk of developing it.

Nearly 90,000 people participated in the study, and all participants were free of diagnosed dementia when they entered the study.

According to the publication, each participant wore a wrist device for seven days that recorded their exposure to light while they went about their normal daily lives. The researchers then used medical records, hospital information and death registry data to determine which participants were later diagnosed with dementia.

The authors found that people who had higher levels of daytime light exposure had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia later on, according to the study.

However, more research is needed to prove whether increasing daytime light can actually prevent dementia.