Common social activities proved to postpone dementia, according to new Rush research.
1,923 older adults were analyzed. All showed no signs of any cognitive decline at the beginning of the study.
By the end of the evaluation period, nearly 1,240 participants developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Over the course of the study, they were asked about social activities they participated in over the past year.
A release from Rush says “cognitive function was assessed using 21 tests for various types of memory as well as perceptual speed and visuospatial ability.”
The research concluded that those who are more social could delay dementia by 5 years. The most socially active participants had “a 38% reduction in dementia risk and a 21% reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk, compared to the least socially active.”
Additionally, “a five-year delay in dementia onset has been estimated to yield an additional three years of life and an economic benefit of reducing dementia costs by 40% in the next 30 years, potentially $500,000 in lifetime healthcare savings for each person who would eventually develop dementia.”
The study was published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
