In the News X2 (#2)

In my previous post, I said I was reviewing two recent news articles on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and this is the second.

I came across a study from University College London regarding a lower incidence of dementia among people who had been socially active.  The study was entitled "Socially active 60-year olds face lower dementia risk."  This article about the study appeared in the StudyFinds blog.  The upshot was that people who were socially active at 60 were significantly less likely to develop dementia in later life.

The study collected data from some previous studies that made observations regarding 10,228 subjects.  The data went back to 1985, evaluating social activity of subjects at ages 50, 60, and 70.  Between 1997 and 2017 they were given annual cognitive tests.  So this was an ambitious, extensive study that collected a lot of data.

For some reason, the key age for optimal effect seems to be 60.  Subjects with an active social life at age 60 showed a 12% reduction in the likelihood of developing dementia in later life.  Subjects who were active at 50 and 70 also showed less likelihood, but the level of improvement wasn't statistically significant.

If you read Beating the Dementia Monster, you know that I met a neurology researcher who believed that maintaining social connectivity was the single most valuable weapon in fighting Alzheimer's disease.  I'm not sure that's true, but it is clear that it ranks near exercise, diet, and sleep in its power.