Staying Active as You Age Not a Guarantee Against Dementia

Healthy aging experts often cite the importance of leisure activities in maintaining seniors' cognitive health, states U.S. News & World Report (Oct. 30, Thompson). But new research calls into question whether enjoyable pursuits like socializing and taking classes actually protect you against dementia. According to findings published this week in the journal Neurology , researchers found no link between middle-aged folks participating in leisure activities and their risk of dementia over the next two decades. However, they did discover that some people later diagnosed with dementia will stop taking part in leisure activities years before their diagnosis. Lead researcher Andrew Sommerlad, a principal research fellow in psychology at University College London, comments, "We found a link between low level of activity in late life and dementia risk, but that this is probably due to people giving up activities as they are beginning to develop dementia. Dementia appeared to be the cause, rather than consequence, of low levels of leisure activities."