Midlife Cognitive and Physical Activity and Dementia Risk in Women

Midlife factors may contribute to dementia risk, but many studies have had a high mean age at baseline and short follow-up times. Researchers have now analyzed whether midlife cognitive and physical activity at baseline (1968–1969) were associated with dementia risk in 800 Swedish women during a 44-year follow-up period. Levels of cognitive activity (intellectual, artistic, manual, club, and religious) were assessed by semistructured interviews, and the frequency of each cognitive activity was rated from 0 (no/low) to 2 (high), with a sum score of 0 to 10. Levels of physical activity were determined by a validated scale. Dementia diagnoses were determined by established criteria using neuropsychological testing, informant interviews, and na…