Dementia is intricately linked to a host of bodily systems, so if you listen closely enough, your body clock could be trying to tell you something important about your health.
A study published last week in Neurology found that older adults with weaker, more disrupted daily rhythms face a much higher chance of developing dementia.
The research appeared in the American Academy of Neurology's medical journal showing those with the most fragmented activity patterns had nearly two-and-a-half times the risk compared to people with steady routines.
It was also revealed that people whose energy levels peaked later in the day also showed elevated dementia risk.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Having fragmented activity patterns could double the risk of dementia
|GETTY
What are circadian rhythms?
Think of them as your body's internal timing system – a natural 24-hour clock that keeps everything running smoothly.
This clever mechanism controls when you sleep and wake, but it does far more than that; it also manages hormone release, digestion, and body temperature throughout the day.
Your brain runs the show, responding mainly to light in your environment.
When your circadian rhythm is strong, your body stays nicely in sync with daylight and darkness, giving you consistent sleep and activity patterns.
But when it's weaker, you're more likely to have your routines thrown off by schedule changes or shifting daylight hours.
The research tracked 2,183 adults who were dementia-free at the start, with an average age of 79.
Each person wore a small heart monitor on their chest for roughly 12 days, which recorded their rest and activity patterns.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The group was made up of 24 per cent Black participants and 76 per cent white participants, whom scientists followed for about three years to see who developed cognitive problems.
During that time, 176 people received a dementia diagnosis.
The heart monitor data gave researchers a detailed picture of how strong or weak each person's daily rhythms really were.
They essentially measured something called relative amplitude, describing the gap between someone's most and least active periods.
Every standard deviation drop in this measure was linked to a 54 per cent jump in dementia risk.
A strong circadian rhythm gives the body consistent sleep and activity patterns
|GETTY
Study author Wendy Wang, from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, explained the significance: "Changes in circadian rhythms happen with ageing, and evidence suggests that circadian rhythm disturbances may be a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
"Our study measured these rest-activity rhythms and found that people with weaker and more fragmented rhythms, and people with activity levels that peaked later in the day, had an elevated risk of dementia."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter