Mar 1, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Wp6JvfrTXrk
Keeping your head, hands, and body busy in middle age pays off big later in life. The latest pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is that your risk of dementia drops by nearly 35 to more than 50 percent.
This finding comes from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg’s study of 800 women who were followed from their mid-forties well into their nineties.
The physically active women were 34 % less likely to develop dementia than their inactive peers. Their activities included intense exercise such as running and swimming but also lighter physical pursuits such as biking, walking, bowling, or gardening.
The more intellectually active women enjoyed a 46 percent lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and a 34% lower incidence of any dementia. Their activities were reading writing, needlework, attending shows and concerts, singing in a choir, and painting.
I end each of my news reports with the suggestion that a smile on your face, an active mind, and your body in motion are the best medicines. This study is a testimony to the value of both physical and intellectual activity and suggests that such pursuits will keep you smiling throughout your life.
#exercise #intellectualactivity #dementia #reading #writing #healthnews
Jenna Najar, Svante Östling, Pia Gudmundsson, Valter Sundh, Lena Johansson, Silke Kern, Xinxin Guo, Tore Hällström, Ingmar Skoog. Cognitive and physical activity and dementia. Neurology, 2019; 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007021 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007021