Why peering at your phone could be a dementia risk

Using mobiles and laptops may increase the risk of dementia, a physiotherapist has warned.

Analysis suggests that the posture people adopt while using their devices can reduce blood flow to the brain, which leads to cognitive decline.

Dr Solomon Abrahams has reviewed research on the subject and says ‘emerging evidence and clinical trials have indicated the potential consequences for cognitive and neurological health’.

“The persistent pressure on the arteries by holding your head in a forward position, as many people do when looking at their phones, can lead to a chronic reduction in the diameter of those arteries, potentially reducing the amount of blood which can reach the brain,” he said.

“Any restriction in these blood vessels may cause a decrease in blood flow to the brain, resulting in various brain-related diseases.”

Dr Abrahams, who lectures at Imperial College of Medicine and University College London, added: “We are all guilty of it.”