A study from Rush University Medical Center found that frequent social activity may help prevent or delay dementia in older adults. Participants who were more socially active showed a 38% lower risk of developing dementia and a 21% reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk compared to those who were less active. The study also estimated a five-year delay in dementia onset for more socially active individuals.
Rush University Medical CenterJan 30 2025 Visiting friends, attending parties and going to church may help keep your brain healthy, according to research conducted at Rush.
In this study, we show that social activity is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and that the least socially active older adults developed dementia an average of five years before the most socially active." Social activity can strengthen neural circuits in the brain, making them more resistant to the buildup of pathology that occurs with age. Social behavior activates the same areas of the brain involved in thinking and memory.
In addition, a five-year delay in dementia onset has been estimated to yield an additional three years of life and an economic benefit of reducing dementia costs by 40% in the next 30 years, potentially $500,000 in lifetime health care savings for each person who would eventually develop dementia. Social activity was measured based on a questionnaire that asked participants whether, and how often, in the previous year they had engaged in six common social activities that involve social interaction - for example, whether they went to restaurants or sporting events, played bingo, took day or overnight trips, did volunteer work or visited relatives or friends.
SOCIAL ACTIVITY DEMENTIA COGNITIVE DECLINE HEALTH BRAIN HEALTH
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