Senior Workers May Avoid Dementia

[18 May 2009 - redOrbit] New research suggests that stimulating the brain by working longer into senior years could possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease, BBC News reported. In a study comprised of 1,320 dementia patients, 382 of which were men, findings revealed that the men that continued to work late in life were able to maintain keenness of the brain enough to ward off dementia. The Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London conducted the study and published its findings in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Currently, nearly 700,000 UK citizens suffer dementia, and experts fear that number will increase to 1.7 million by 2051. The UK economy already contributes an estimated £17 billion a year for treatment. Because Dementia is triggered by a massive loss of brain cells, experts propose that developing as many connections between cells as possible by maintaining active brain functions throughout life could potentially protect against the disease. This is known as a "cognitive reserve". Valid evidence exists to support good education is correlated with less risk of dementia. However, this particular study suggests there can be a positive result with mental activity well into our senior years. More