Mental health helps decrease Alzheimer’s risk

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities.

There are now more than five million people in the US living with Alzheimer’s disease, 98 per cent of whom are over the age of 65.

As the disease strikes more and more, people are now starting to associate aging with Alzheimer’s, but it’s not a normal part of aging.

Keeping mentally fit could help reduce your risk of getting the disease.

When asked about growing older, Americans frequently cite the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease as a leading concern.

A new study suggests that keeping mentally active could reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers followed 700 elderly adults in the Chicago area.

Over the course of 5 years, doctors measured the participants’ mental abilities and asked them about their daily activities. The seniors who kept mentally active said they frequently read newspapers, played chess or checkers, visited a library or attended plays.

Researchers found that older adults who did not perform these sorts of mental activities were more than two and a half times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. One theory is that mental activity helps build brain connections that give people more available brain power as they age.