According to the research from Rush Memory and Aging Project, older persons who participate in more social activities acquire dementia up to five years later than those who are less socially active, demonstrating the importance of social interactions in brain health.
Dementia, which has no known cure up till now, affects millions of individuals worldwide. Therefore, strategies for delaying or preventing dementia are crucial. Social engagement may be one of the means of preventing dementia since there is evidence that it is associated with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline [1].
Social engagement is a multifaceted concept that includes different but interconnected areas, including structural elements (social activity, marital status), functional aspects (social support), and subjective psychological experience (loneliness).
Social activity has been a significant and consistent risk factor for cognitive health, and it may be easier to address at the community level than other risk factors.
In a recent study, researchers from the Rush Memory and Aging Project examined the link between social interaction and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
The study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that older adults who engage in more social activities develop dementia up to five years later than those who engage in less social activities, highlighting the significance of social interactions for brain health [2].
About the Recent Study
In the current study, researchers investigated the links between social activity and incidence of MCI and dementia. They evaluated participants from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a 1997 longitudinal clinical-pathological investigation.
Since their recruitment in the Chicago metropolitan region, about 2,300 senior citizens have finished the baseline assessment.
Social activity levels were calculated based on the frequency of engagement in six common social activities. Participants rated how frequently they engaged in the following activities in the previous year:
- Group participation
- Going to restaurants, sporting events, or off-track betting
- Visiting friends or relatives
- Attending religious services
- Going on the day or overnight trips
- Doing unpaid volunteer or community work
Participants underwent a clinical diagnosis during their annual assessments. The study also included 21 tests to measure cognitive abilities over time.
A neuropsychologist used the test results to make a clinical judgment regarding the presence of cognitive impairment. Following a review of cognitive testing, medical history, and neurological examination, a healthcare professional made a diagnostic classification of dementia.
Participants were classified to have MCI if their impairment, as determined by a neuropsychologist, did not fit the diagnostic criteria for dementia. Those without MCI or dementia were classified as not having cognitive impairment.
Researchers employed Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the relationships between social activity levels and the time to incident MCI or dementia. Additionally, they calculated the age at dementia/MCI diagnosis for each level of social activity.
What were the Findings?
The analyses comprised 1,923 people with an average age of 80.4 years. Over the course of their 6.7-year follow-up, 36% and 28%, respectively, developed MCI and dementia.
The average social activity score was 2.6, indicating that people participated several times each month. The participants saw about seven of their social acquaintances at least once a month.
After adjusting for sex, age, education, marital status, and race/ethnicity, a unit increase in social activity score was linked to a 38% lower dementia risk.
Other social engagement factors, such as loneliness, the size of one’s social network, and social support, were incorporated into the model to determine whether social activity was independently linked to incident dementia.
Upon adding more variables, the relationships between social activity and dementia remained comparable. Furthermore, a unit increase in loneliness was linked to a 40% higher chance of dementia, indicating a substantial correlation between loneliness and incident dementia. There was no association between incident dementia and social support or network size.
Participants who were the least socially active were far less likely than those who were the most socially active to stay dementia-free.
The average age at dementia diagnosis was predicted to be 92.2 years for the most socially engaged person and 87.7 years for the least socially active person, indicating a robust correlation between social activity and the age at dementia diagnosis.
Social activity was also linked to a decreased risk of MCI after controlling sex, education, marital status, ethnicity/race, and age.
There was a 21% decrease in the risk of MCI for every unit increase in social activity score. Additionally, for the patients who were least and most socially active, the expected average age at the onset of MCI was 74.2 and 79.1 years, respectively.
In conclusion, the findings show that higher levels of social activity were associated with a five-year older age at dementia onset compared to the least socially active subjects.
The age difference between the most and least socially active people at the onset of MCI was also five years. These findings highlight the importance of social interaction as a potential community-based dementia prevention strategy.
How the Study can Help
The data is insufficient to prove direct cause and effect. There are probably other factors at play as well. For example, people who visit friends and relatives more frequently are probably more physically active.
Nonetheless, there is a clear connection here, and it aligns with our existing understanding of the correlation between social isolation and a higher risk of dementia [3]. Previous research demonstrated that even having pets around can have an impact [4].
The researchers believe that reducing the complexity of dementia risk and lifestyle modifications to manageable chunks, such as a five-year dementia delay for socially engaged people, can raise awareness of these disorders and how to prevent them.
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