Prime Highlights:
- Lifelong mental activity, such as reading, writing, and learning new skills, can significantly reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Staying mentally active can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by more than five years and mild cognitive impairment by seven years.
Key Facts:
- Participants with the highest mental engagement were 38% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and 36% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment compared with the least active participants.
- Lifelong intellectual activities, from early reading to later-life hobbies, were linked to slower cognitive decline and better memory even before death.
Background:
Engaging in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, writing, or learning a new language throughout life can lower the risk of dementia by almost 40%, according to a new study by US researchers. The findings suggest that millions could delay or even prevent the onset of cognitive decline.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago tracked 1,939 adults, averaging 80 years old, who did not have dementia at the start. Over eight years, researchers followed participants’ lifelong involvement in mental activities, such as reading in childhood, having books or newspapers at home, visiting museums, and enjoying hobbies like writing or playing games in later life.
The study found that people who stayed most mentally active throughout life were 38% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and 36% less likely to develop mild cognitive problems compared with those who were least active. Those with the richest intellectual environment developed Alzheimer’s at an average age of 94, seven years later than those with low engagement. Similarly, MCI appeared at 85 on average, compared with 78 for low-engagement participants.
“Our findings show that staying mentally active across all stages of life can make a real difference in cognitive health,” said Andrea Zammit, lead author of the study. She added that expanding access to libraries and early education could further help reduce dementia rates.
While the study shows strong associations, researchers note that it does not prove that reading or learning directly prevents dementia. Participants’ early and midlife experiences were recalled later in life, which may affect accuracy.
Dr. Isolde Radford from Alzheimer’s Research UK highlighted the importance of the findings, saying they reinforce that dementia is not an inevitable part of aging. “This research confirms that lifelong mental activity can meaningfully lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.
Published in Neurology, the study offers hope that simple, daily intellectual habits can protect memory and cognitive health well into old age.
