Frequent Social, Mental Activity Tied to Lower Dementia Risk

Stimulating mental and social activities over a lifetime are associated with lower risk for developing dementia, according to a JAMA Neurology study.

Roughly 1600 older adults (mean age, 80) free of dementia at baseline completed questionnaires on their frequency of cognitive activities in early, mid, and late life and social activities in late life (e.g., reading, volunteering, eating at restaurants, traveling, visiting friends and family). This information, along with years of education, was used to construct a cognitive reserve score.

Over a mean of 6 years' follow-up, 24% of participants developed dementia. After multivariable adjustment, participants in the highest tertile of cognitive reserve scores had a 39% lower risk for dementia dia…