Socializing in Middle Age May Have Profound Effect on Dementia Risk

A study published in PLOS Medicine found adults who want to lower the odds of developing dementia may benefit from socializing during middle age, reports SlashGear . Data analysis on more than 10,000 adult participants saw a positive correlation between cognitive test results and social contact frequency. Adults who had more social contact at 60 years old were found to be "significantly" less likely to develop dementia in later years. For example, 60-year-olds who saw friends almost every day had a 12 percent lower dementia risk, versus adults who saw their friends once every few months. Older adults who had more socialization at the ages of 50 and 70 years enjoyed similar benefits, although the connections were statistically insignificant. Nevertheless, the implication is that socialization may reduce the chances of developing dementia, at any age. "People who are socially engaged are exercising cognitive skills such as memory and language, which may help them to develop cognitive reserve. While it may not stop their brains from changing, cognitive reserve could help people cope better with the effects of age and delay any symptoms of dementia," said University College London's Gill Livingston.