Active Social Life May Reduce Men's Alzheimer's Risk

Sept. 27 -- FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Cognitive and social activity in midlife may significantly reduce men's risk of dementia, says a U.S. study that followed 147 male twin pairs for 28 years.

Among the twins, higher cognitive activity scores predicted a 26 percent reduction in risk for developing dementia first. Twins who developed dementia first had significantly lower total cognitive activity scores than twins who didn't develop dementia.

The study found that reduced dementia risk was most strongly associated with participation in intermediate novel activities including home and family activities, visiting with friends and relatives, club activities (such as attending parties and playing card games), and home hobbies.

"These activities might be indicative of an enriched environment, which has been shown in animal models to enhance the creation of new brain cells and promote brain repair," noted study author Michelle C. Carlson, an associate professor in the department of mental health and the Center on Aging and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and colleagues.

Two other categories of cognitive activities -- novel and passive receptive -- also reduced dementia risk but not to the same degree as intermediate novel activities. Novel activities include reading, studying for courses, and extra work (overtime or other employment), while receptive activities include watching television, listening to radio, going to movies, or seeing theater, art and music shows.

The study was published in the September issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia.

"This fascinating study provides some of the first relatively strong evidence that cognitive activity, including social interaction, reduces dementia risk," William Thies, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, said in an association news release. "The results extend earlier twin study data that showed the beneficial impact of similar activities on Alzheimer's and dementia risk in women."