Multiple Activities Can Prevent or Delay Dementia

Source: pasja1000/Pixabay

The number of adults over age 65 increases every year, and with that comes an increase in cases of cognitive decline, dementia, and other age-related disorders. But here’s some encouraging news: Researchers from Canada’s Simon Fraser University and National Institute of Aging found that a combination of multiple day-to-day activities has a significantly stronger effect on memory decline than limiting yourself to just one or two types of daily activities. They also found that the beneficial effects of participating in a variety of different daily activities increase with age, and involvement in multiple activities has more of a positive impact on memory than factors such as family and personal histories, baseline memory at the start of the study, or education level.

In a study that included more than 3,200 participants, ages 65 to 89, the researchers measured the impact of 33 different activities on memory. These included such hobbies and activities as cooking, playing cards or games, reading, walking, or other exercises, doing word puzzles, sewing or knitting, volunteer/charity work, community work, writing, working with youth praying, gardening or maintenance work, watching television, art classes, spending time on a computer, and socializing. Socializing included making and receiving phone calls, in-person visits and gatherings, and even writing letters or emailing and using social media to stay in touch with family and friends. The results showed that participating in several of these activities every day had more impact on memory over time than participating in any one of them.

This study is somewhat unique in the sense that, rather than look for new interventions, the researchers looked at the natural range of variety in the daily activities of older adults and compared how these variabilities affected memory at various ages over time and in real-life settings. The results add to what we already know about the importance of a healthy diet, routine exercise, and social interaction when it comes to incorporating specific lifestyle measures into the everyday routines of aging adults to prevent or delay symptoms of aging-related physical and mental health conditions.

In assessing older adults for dementia, researchers find that relevant test scores decline by anywhere from 10 to 35 percent between ages 50 and 85. Preventing dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders is especially important because there are no cures for these conditions, and there are currently very few effective treatments or solutions. Caring for those with such chronic and degenerative conditions creates huge and expensive challenges for both families and health care institutions. Most studies focus on drug treatments for those who already have dementia. It makes more sense on every level to use preventative strategies to help older adults maintain healthy and functional cognition for as long as possible, the researchers point out.