Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Feb 12: Reading, writing and learning new languages throughout life could reduce the risk of dementia by nearly 40%, according to a new study that suggests millions of people may be able to delay or even prevent the condition through sustained mental activity.
Dementia is among the world’s fastest-growing health challenges, with the number of people living with the condition projected to triple to more than 150 million globally by 2050. Experts warn that it poses a major and escalating burden on health and social care systems worldwide.
Researchers in the United States found that individuals who consistently engaged in intellectually stimulating activities — such as reading books, writing, visiting libraries or learning a foreign language — were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and experienced slower cognitive decline.
The study, led by Andrea Zammit of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, suggests that cognitive health in later life is “strongly influenced” by lifelong exposure to mentally enriching environments.
“Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout life may make a difference in cognition,” Zammit said. She added that public investments in early education programmes and access to libraries could play a significant role in reducing dementia incidence.
The study tracked 1,939 participants with an average age of 80 who did not have dementia at the outset. They were followed for an average of eight years and completed surveys about cognitive activities during childhood, midlife and later years.
Early-life enrichment — before age 18 — included being read to, reading books, access to newspapers and atlases at home and learning a foreign language for more than five years. Midlife enrichment involved income level at age 40, access to resources such as magazines, dictionaries and library cards, and cultural activities like visiting museums. Later-life enrichment, beginning at around age 80, included reading, writing, playing games and financial stability.
During the study period, 551 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease and 719 developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an early stage of memory loss.
Among those in the highest 10% for lifetime cognitive enrichment, 21% developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared with 34% in the lowest 10%. After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and education, researchers found that higher lifetime enrichment was associated with a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36% lower risk of MCI.
Participants with the highest enrichment levels developed Alzheimer’s at an average age of 94, compared with 88 among those with the lowest levels — a delay of more than five years. Similarly, mild cognitive impairment developed at an average age of 85 in the high-enrichment group, compared with 78 in the low-enrichment group.
Autopsy data from participants who died during the study also indicated that those with higher lifetime enrichment maintained better memory and thinking skills and experienced slower cognitive decline before death.
However, researchers noted limitations, including reliance on participants’ recollection of early-life experiences and the fact that the study shows an association rather than direct causation.
Dr Isolde Radford of Alzheimer’s Research UK, who was not involved in the study, said the findings reinforce the idea that dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing.
“This new research shows that staying mentally active throughout life can cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by nearly 40%,” she said, adding that it supports existing evidence about the preventive steps individuals can take to reduce dementia risk.