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Being more socially active in your fifties and sixties predict a lower risk of developing dementia later, finds a new study conducted by UCL
The longitudinal study, published in PLOS Medicine,
reports the strongest evidence to date that social contact earlier in
life could play an important role in the fight against dementia.
"Dementia is a major global health challenge, with a million
We expect people to suffer from dementia in the UK by 2021, but we also know
that one in three cases could be avoided, "said the study.
lead author, Dr. Andrew Sommerlad (UCL Psychiatry).
"Here we found that social contacts, in the middle and late age
life, seems to reduce the risk of dementia. This discovery could feed
strategies to reduce the risk of developing dementia for all, by adding
another reason to promote connected communities and find ways to
reduce isolation and loneliness. "
The research team used data from the Whitehall II study to track
10,228 participants who had been invited six times between 1985
and 2013 on their frequency of social contact with friends and
relatives. The same participants also had cognitive tests at
Starting in 1997, and researchers have evoked the electronic system of the subjects of the study.
health records until 2017 to see if they had ever been diagnosed
dementia.
For badysis, the research team focused on the relationships
between social contact at 50, 60 and 70 years and the subsequent impact of
dementia and if social contact was linked to cognitive decline,
after taking into account other factors such as education, employment,
marital status and socio-economic status.
The researchers found that increased social contact at age 60 was
badociated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia later
in life. The badysis showed that someone who saw friends almost daily
at age 60 was 12% less likely to develop dementia than someone who only
saw one or two friends every few months.
They found similar badociations between social contact
at age 50 and 70 and subsequent dementia; while these badociations have
achieve statistical significance, the researchers say that
contact at any age can also have a similar impact on reducing dementia
risk.
Social contact in the middle of the end of life was correlated in a way similar to general cognitive measures.
Previous studies have shown a link between social contact and
risk of dementia, but they have not had time tracking so long, so that they
could not exclude the possibility that the beginnings of cognition
the decline may have caused people to see fewer people, rather than
l & # 39; reverse. The long follow-up in this study
reinforces the evidence that social engagement could protect people
long-term dementia.
The researchers say that there is some explanation as to how social contact could reduce the risk of dementia.
"Socially engaged people exercise cognitive skills
such as memory and language, which can help them develop cognitive abilities.
reserve – although this may not prevent their brains from changing, cognitively
reserve could help people cope better with the effects of age and delays
no symptoms of dementia, "said Professor Gill Livingston, lead author
(Psychiatry UCL).
"Spending more time with friends could also be good for mental health.
well-being, and can be correlated with physical activity, which are both
can also reduce the risk of developing dementia, "added the professor
Livingston, who previously led a major international study describing
life-course factors that affect the risk of dementia. *
The researchers were supported by Wellcome and the National
Institute of Health Research at the Center for Biomedical Research at UCLH, while the
The Whitehall II study is funded by the US National Institutes of
Health, British Council for Medical Research and British Heart Foundation.
The study was conducted by researchers at UCL Psychiatry, UCL
Epidemiology and Public Health, NHS Camden & Islington Foundation
Trust and Inserm.
Kalpa Kharicha, Head of Innovation, Policy and Research at the
Campaign to end loneliness, said: "We welcome these results that show
the benefits of frequent social contacts at the end / at the average age on dementia
risk. As we found in our Be More Us campaign, almost half of British adults
say that their busy lives keep them from connecting to other people.
It is important that we make changes to our daily lives to make sure we take the steps that are required.
the time to connect with others. We need more awareness of the benefits that
social well-being and connectivity may have to fight against social isolation,
loneliness and reduce the risk of dementia. "
Fiona Carragher, Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer's
Society, said: "There are many factors to consider before you can
confirm for certain if social isolation is a risk factor or a
early sign of the disease – but this study is a step in the right
direction. We are proud to support the work that helps us understand the
condition better – this is only through research that we can understand
real causes of dementia and how to prevent it at best.
"While the number of people with dementia in the UK is set to rise
to one million by 2021, we must do everything in our power to reduce our risks –
in addition to reducing your alcohol consumption and quitting, we
encourage people across the country to go out in the sun, and make
something active with family and friends.
"The recent focus of the government on health prevention is a
welcome opportunity to reduce the risk of dementia in society. we
Ministers now need to prioritize better support initiatives to help
people reduce the risk of dementia and look forward to seeing that when
The results of the Green Paper on Prevention are published later in the
year."
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