Featured in Science Digest #93

Being socially active may delay dementia onset by five years. Digest

alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

A lively social life might be one of the best defenses against dementia. With more than 50 million people affected worldwide and care costs soaring into the hundreds of billions, finding ways to delay dementia is a public health priority. A recent study found that older adults who were more socially active developed dementia about five years later than those who were the least socially engaged.

Researchers tracked nearly 2,000 older adults without dementia as part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Each year, participants underwent cognitive assessments to determine whether they had developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Digest email preview

You just missed this in your inbox

Every other week our Premium Members received this exact study plus Rhonda's practical commentary and 8+ other hand-picked papers.

Over nearly seven years of follow-up, 545 participants developed dementia, and 695 developed mild cognitive impairment. On average, the least socially active participants developed dementia at about age 87, while the most socially active participants developed it at about age 92—a five-year difference. The same pattern emerged for mild cognitive impairment.

These findings suggest that social activity could be a powerful, community-wide strategy for delaying dementia, ultimately improving older adults' quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. Dietary components, including omega-3 fatty acids, play a critical role in reducing the risk of dementia, too. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.