Wednesday 10 August 2022 09:13 PM The best ways to ward off dementia revealed, according to science trends now
It's finally been settled. The best way to protect yourself against dementia is to keep your brain stimulated, a major review suggests.
People who regularly read books, played musical instruments or keep a personal diary have a 23 per cent lower risk of developing the condition.
The analysis of dozens of studies involving 2million middle-aged and older people also found physical activity was the next best thing for keeping the brain sharp.
Regularly playing sports, doing yoga or dancing was found to have a 17 per cent protective effect.
And people with a vibrant social lives appear to have a 7 per cent lower risk of developing dementia than loners.
Researchers said joining a club, volunteering, spending time with friends and families or going to religious events all had a positive effect.
Lead author Professor Lin Lu, from Pecking University in Beijing, said: 'This meta-analysis suggests that being active has benefits, and there are plenty of activities that are easy to incorporate into daily life that may be beneficial to the brain.'
Researchers at Pecking University in Beijing examined patterns in hobbies and cases of dementia among 2.1million people. The findings show that those who engage in mental tasks — such as reading, writing and even watching TV — were a quarter less likely to receive a dementia diagnosis. Meanwhile, staying active reduced the risk by a fifth and meeting up with others lowered the likelihood by a tenth
People who regularly read books, played musical instruments or keep a personal diary have a 23 per cent lower risk of developing the condition
Their results were published in the journal Neurology.