Introduction

Dementia is a growing concern, with over 55 million people living with the condition worldwide and nearly 10 million new cases reported every year. While several potential risk factors have been identified, a recent study suggests that physical and mental activities may be an effective way to prevent dementia.

The Study:

The study, which appears in Neurology, analyzed healthcare data from 501,376 participants in the UK Biobank cohort. At the start of the study, participants filled in questionnaires indicating their physical and mental activities, including housework-related activity, transportation, social contact, and attendance of adult education classes. The researchers also examined the participants’ genetic risk factors and family history of dementia.

Findings:

The study found that more frequent engagement in physical and mental activities was linked to lower rates of dementia. The participants who were most engaged in frequent exercise, household chores, and daily visits by friends and family had a 35%, 21%, and 15% lower risk of dementia compared to those least engaged in these activities. The researchers also found that physical and mental activities protected against dementia, regardless of genetic risk or family history of the condition. However, they noted that visiting the pub or social club and watching TV were linked to a higher risk of dementia.

Underlying Mechanisms:

The researchers noted that while the underlying mechanisms linking physical activity and a reduced dementia risk remain unknown, regular aerobic exercise might improve cerebral blood flow and have antioxidant effects that delay oxidative damage in the brain. Additionally, physical and mental activities, including learning, exercising, and socializing, may increase cognitive reserve, which is the brain’s resistance to structural damage from processes like aging.

Expert Opinion:

According to Professor Gill Livingston, physical and mental activities may feed the brain with new information and store this new content information in our brain. Dr. Dorina Cadar further explained that social interaction, a sense of belonging to a group, and having friends with common interests are key to psychological well-being and mental resilience.

Conclusion:

The researchers concluded that frequent mental and physical activities could be effective interventions for preventing dementia. However, they noted that the study’s limitations include that the UK Biobank data disproportionately comes from a high-income and healthy population with few minority groups and may not be fully representative. Additionally, the cohort was relatively young, given the mean age for developing dementia is around 80 years old, and the study did not accurately diagnose subtypes of dementia and that mental activities could have been investigated in more detail.

Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canada-alzheimer-2030-projection/#:~:text=Nearly%20one%20million%20people%20in,the%20Alzheimer%20Society%20of%20Canada.