It’s no secret that cases of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are on the rise. In fact, data from 2022 found that nearly 10% of American adults ages 65 and older have dementia. Another 22% experience mild cognitive impairment. An even more unsettling fact is that dementia cases are projected to double by the year 2060. That means that new dementia cases will rise to reach one million per year.
Researchers note that the current lifetime risk of developing dementia after age 55 is 42%. Women face an even higher likelihood due to their longer life expectancy. Although aging is the dominant risk factor at the moment, health conditions including hypertension, poor mental health, obesity, and diabetes can contribute to the rising crisis. These projections are grim, but there are things you can do to delay, or at least reduce, your risk of developing dementia. A recent study, however, found that there is one promising solution to delaying the onset of dementia: staying socially engaged.
Late-life Social Activity Could Delay Dementia Onset By Five Years
The recent study of conversation was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of Alzheimer’s Association. It highlighted how frequent social interactions could help preserve cognitive health into old age. The study involved about 2,000 older adults for a period of nearly six to seven years. Researchers tracked their social engagement and cognitive status.
The results indicated that those who were the most socially active delayed the onset of dementia by five years compared to those with minimal social interactions. Study authors also observed a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is an early stage of memory decline. More specifically, study authors found that the participants who were more socially engaged had:
- A 38% lower risk of developing dementia
- A 21% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment
These findings highlight the role that social connections play in maintaining brain health. More importantly, social connections may reduce the national burden of cognitive decline.
How Does Socializing Benefit The Brain?
According to study authors, the mechanisms behind this brain boost are not fully understood yet. At the moment, researchers put forth the following theories:
- Stress reduction: Having positive social interactions on a regular basis can help reduce chronic stress, which can harm the brain. Lowering your stress levels can help protect the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that is essential for memory.
- Cognitive stimulation: Social interaction not only provides mental challenges, but also diverse conversations that can promote new neural connections, a process called neurogenesis. This is integral to delaying the onset of dementia, considering that altered neurogenesis has been identified in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
- Physical activity: More often than not, social interactions are typically coupled with some sort of movement. You may have a lunch date, which involves sitting, but you can take a walk or engage in a yoga class with a friend as well. Incorporating more movement into your social interactions can help protect against cognitive decline.
- Hormonal balance: According to research, social engagement helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This helps control stress responses and can influence overall brain health.
What Can You Do?
If you want to stay socially engaged as you age, you don’t have to make tremendous alterations to your life. A few simple ideas can help foster new social connections, and a few examples are:
- Volunteer: Giving back to the community is a great way to meet new people in your community. Not only that, but it provides a sense of purpose!
- Keep learning: Perhaps there is something you want to learn, and your age shouldn’t stop you from doing that. Enroll in a course or attend a workshop that encourages learning and interaction.
- Join a club: This could be a book club, gardening group, or local ceramics class. These classes harbor people with shared interests, which usually ignite conversations and connections.
- Stay physically active: It’s no secret that exercise offers brain-boosting benefits. Rather than just working out by yourself, though, health experts encourage you to take fitness classes or join a physically active group to get the social and physical benefits.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
