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Crosswords, choral singing and theater visits can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. According to a new study, women who keep the brain with, for example, cultural activities are less likely to suffer from the disease later in life.
According to a new study, solving crosswords and, in another way, stimulating the brain can reduce the risk of suffering from Alzheimer 's disease. Stock Photography.
Every year, around 15,000 Swedes are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. But there are several things that reduce the risk of being affected. The importance of physical activity is already known, but research conducted at the University of Gothenburg show that, for example, going to the theater, solving crosswords or playing an instrument can protect.
– We found that these brain-stimulating activities protected against Alzheimer's disease, regardless of their physical activity, says Jenna Najar, doctor and PhD student at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg.
– What is also unique in our study, is that we have been able to distinguish these two forms of activity and see what they have for their own effect on dementia.
The 800 women included in the literature were between 38 and 54 years old when the population study on which the research was based was launched in 1968. They were asked, among other things, the extent to which they were involved in the stimulation. brain and physical activity.
Over the course of 44 years, women have been followed, 194 have suffered from dementia. But the differences in the affected people were great.
Women with the most brain stimulation activities were at risk of developing dementia by 34% and 46% less likely to contract Alzheimer 's disease compared with those with the least amount of dementia. similar activities.
In terms of physical activity, the risk of developing dementia caused by cerebrovascular diseases in the group with the lowest level of activity was 52% lower than that of non-active.
– What we have also seen is that you do not need to be so active in stimulating physical or brain activities. There is already an effect of walking four hours a week, says Jenna Najar.
Only women are included in the study. But according to Jenna Najar, the results should also apply to culturally and physically active men.
"We really have no reason to believe that it would not be the same effect for men," she says.
– There are some differences between the sexes, for example, it has been found that women suffer more from dementia and Alzheimer's. But it is suspected that the difference is mainly due to women who live longer than men.
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common diseases of dementia. It usually affects people over 65, but can start between the ages of 40 and 50.
Every year, around 15,000 Swedes receive Alzheimer's. In total, there are around 100,000 people with Alzheimer's disease in Sweden.
Alzheimer's disease, whose causes are not completely known, affects the brain and leads to dementia. The disease affects, among other things, memory and language abilities.
The disease is named after the German pathologist and psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who described it in the early 1900s.
Source: National Encyclopedia and Association for Dementia.
l & # 39; study
The study, conducted at the Center for Aging and Health of the University of Gothenburg, was published in the journal Neurology.
The findings are based on evidence from two population studies conducted in Gothenburg – The Women's Survey and H70.
800 women, followed between 1968 and 2012, were interviewed at the beginning on various activities of brain stimulation (reading, crossword solving, choral singing, theater visits, crafts, gardening and associative life). Women also had to answer questions about their physical activity.
Over the course of 44 years, women have been followed and 194 of them have developed dementia.
Source: University of Gothenburg.
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