Researchers Look into Connection Between Staying Active and Limiting Risk of Dementia
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CPaulussen/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A new study confirmed a possible connection between staying active — mentally and physically — as you age and limiting risk of dementia.
According to a study published in the journal Neurology, researchers from the Mayo Clinic followed 256 adults over the age of 85. All of the study participants began with normal cognitive function.
Researchers say that participants who self-reported being more engaged in artistic, craft, or social activities in midlife and later life saw reduced rates of cognitive impairment. Similar reductions were seen in adults who used a computer later in life.
The study includes only a small number of participants, and is only able to note a connection. Researchers cannot say definitively that remaining active caused the reduction in cognitive impairment.
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