These activities can effectively reduce dementia risk, study reveals

According to a new study that was just published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, engaging in physical and mental tasks like housework, exercise, and socializing may all help lower the risk of dementia. The study investigated the effects of these activities, together with mental tasks and the use of technology, on people with and without an elevated familial risk for dementia. “Many studies have identified potential risk factors for dementia, but we wanted to know more about a wide variety of lifestyle habits and their potential role in the prevention of dementia,” said study author Huan Song, MD, Ph.D., of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. “Our study found that exercise, household chores, and social visits were linked to a reduced risk of various types of dementia.” The study involved 501,376 people from a UK database without dementia. The participants had an average age of 36. Participants filled out questionnaires before the trial, one of which asked about their level of physical activity. They were asked how frequently they went for walks, climbed stairs, and played physically demanding sports. Additionally, they were asked about their daily activities, work-related pursuits, and mode of transportation, such as whether they rode a bike or walked. The participants answered yet another questionnaire about their mental activities. They were asked about their level of education, whether they took adult education courses, how frequently they visited friends and family, went to pubs, social clubs, or religious institutions, and how often they utilized technology like computers, TVs, and phones. Participants also disclosed whether any of their direct family members were dementia patients. This assisted in identifying those who may have a hereditary predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. The study subjects were monitored for an average of 11 years. A total of 5,185 patients had dementia at the study's conclusion. Researchers also examined activity patterns to determine the prevalence rates of dementia. People who exercised regularly had a rate of 0.45 instances per 1,000 person-years, while those who exercised infrequently had a rate of 1.59. Person-years account for both the number of participants in a study and the duration of the study. The rate was 0.86 cases per 1,000 person-years for those who frequently performed home duties against 1.02 cases per 1,000 person-years for those who rarely did so. People who visited friends and family frequently had a rate of 0.62 cases per 1,000 person-years, compared to people who only did so occasionally, who had a rate of 0.8 cases. “Our study has found that by engaging more frequently in healthy physical and mental activities, people may reduce their risk of dementia,” Song said. “More research is needed to confirm our findings. However, our results are encouraging that making these simple lifestyle changes may be beneficial.”