OnMedica – News – Socially active people face a lower risk of dementia later

Being socially active at age 60, linked to reduced risk of developing dementia later

More socially active people in the 50s and 60s are at lower risk of developing dementia later, a study * published in PLOS Medicine found.

The researchers used data from the Whitehall II study to track 10,228 officials surveyed six times between 1985 and 2013 on the frequency of their social contacts with their friends and loved ones. The same participants also had cognitive tests from 1997 onwards. Researchers checked participants' medical records until 2017 for a diagnosis of dementia.

The researchers found that an increase in social contacts at age 60 was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia later in life. The analysis showed that a person who saw friends almost every day at the age of 60 was 12% less likely to develop dementia than someone who only saw them. One or two friends every few months.

They also found strong associations between social contact at age 50 and 70 and later dementia; Although these associations have not reached statistical significance, researchers say that social contacts at any age might have a similar impact on reducing the risk of dementia. Social contact in the middle of the end of life was correlated in a way similar to general cognitive measures.

Previous studies have linked social contact to the risk of dementia, but their follow-up has not been as long. They could not rule out the possibility that the beginnings of cognitive decline might have caused people to see less, than in the other direction, the researchers said. The long follow-up of this study reinforces the evidence that social engagement could protect people from dementia in the long run.

One million people would be suffering from dementia in the UK by 2021, and one in three cases could be avoided, "said Dr. Andrew Sommerlad, lead author of the study, of the psychiatrist of the United States. University College London (UCL).

"Here, we found that social contacts, at middle age and late, seemed to reduce the risk of dementia. This discovery could fuel strategies to reduce the risk of developing dementia for all, adding an additional reason to promote connected communities and find ways to reduce isolation and loneliness. "

Researchers have suggested that socially engaged individuals exercise cognitive skills such as memory and language that could help them develop a cognitive reserve.

"Although this does not prevent their brain from changing, cognitive reserve could help people cope better with the effects of age and delay the symptoms of dementia," said Professor Gill Livingston of UCL Psychiatry , principal author.

"Spending more time with friends could also be beneficial for mental well-being and correlate with physical activity, which can also reduce the risk of developing dementia," she added.

Dr. Kalpa Kharicha, head of innovation, policy and research at the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: "Nearly half of British adults say their busy lives keep them from connecting with other people It is important that we change our daily lives we take the time to communicate with others We need more awareness of the benefits that well-being and social bonds can have to fight against social isolation, loneliness and reduce the risk of dementia. "

Fiona Carragher, Director of Policy and Research at the Alzheimer Society, encouraged people to do everything in their power to reduce their risk of dementia.

"In addition to reducing your alcohol consumption and quitting smoking, we encourage people across the country to get in the sun and do something active with family and friends."

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* Sommerlad A, Séverine S, Singh-Manoux A, et al. Association of social contact with dementia and cognition: 28-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study. PLOS medicine. Posted on August 2, 2019. DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pmed.1002862