American Academy of Neurology — MedicalXPress, Wednesday 10 August 2022
Leisure activities such as reading a book, doing yoga and spending time with family and friends may help lower the risk of dementia, according to a new meta-analysis published in the 10 August 2022 online issue of Neurology. The meta-analysis involved a review of 38 studies from around the world involving a total of more than 2 million people who did not have dementia, followed for at least three years. During the studies, 74,700 people developed dementia. After adjusting for age, sex and education, researchers found that leisure activities overall were linked to a 17% lower risk of developing dementia than those who did not engage in leisure activities.
Mental activities — including reading or writing for pleasure, watching television, listening to the radio, playing games or musical instruments, using a computer, and making crafts — were linked to a 23% lower risk of dementia. Physical activities including walking, running, swimming, bicycling, playing sports, yoga and dancing were linked to a 17% lower risk. Social activities including attending a class, joining a social club, volunteering, visiting with relatives or friends, or attending religious activities were linked to a 7% lower risk. “This meta-analysis suggests that being active has benefits, and there are plenty of activities that are easy to incorporate into daily life that may be beneficial to the brain,” said study author Lin Lu, PhD, of Peking University Sixth Hospital. “Our research found that leisure activities may reduce the risk of dementia. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and longer follow-up time to reveal more links between leisure activities and dementia.”