The researchers discovered that individuals who took part in recreation had a 17% lower threat of dementia.
Scientists response: Which recreation are connected with a lower threat of dementia?
According to a current meta-analysis just recently released in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, recreation like checking out a book, practicing yoga, and hanging out with friends and family might help in reducing the threat of dementia. The meta-analysis analyzed existing research studies on the impacts of cognitive, physical, and social activities on the threat of dementia.
“Previous studies have shown that leisure activities were associated with various health benefits, such as a lower cancer risk, a reduction of atrial fibrillation, and a person’s perception of their own well-being,” specified research study author Lin Lu,Ph D., of Peking University Sixth Hospital in Beijing,China “However, there is conflicting evidence of the role of leisure activities in the prevention of dementia. Our research found that leisure activities like making crafts, playing sports or volunteering were linked to a reduced risk of dementia.”
In the meta-analysis, 38 research studies from around the world consisting of more than 2 million grownups without dementia were analyzed. The individuals were observed for a minimum of 3 years.
Participants provided details on their recreation through surveys or interviews. Leisure activities are those people take part in for their enjoyment or wellness. Scientists classified recreation into among 3 classifications: social, physical, and psychological. 74,700 people established dementia throughout the research studies.
After managing for age, gender, and education, scientists found that recreation total were connected with a lower occurrence of dementia. When compared to people who did not take part in recreation, dementia threat was minimized by 17%.
Mental activities primarily included intellectual pursuits such as reading or composing for pleasure, viewing tv, listening to the radio, playing video games or musical instruments, utilizing a computer system, and doing crafts. These activities were revealed to have a 23% lower threat of dementia in individuals, according to scientists.
Physical activities consisted of strolling, running, yoga, swimming, playing sports, cycling, utilizing workout devices, and dancing. Researchers discovered that individuals who took part in these activities had a 17% lower threat of dementia.
Social activities generally described activities that included interaction with others and consisted of going to a class, offering, signing up with a social club, checking out loved ones or buddies, or going to spiritual activities. Researchers discovered that individuals who took part in these activities had a 7% lower threat of dementia.
“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,” Lu stated. “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.”
The research study was restricted by the reality that individuals reported their own physical and psychological activity, so they might not have actually kept in mind and reported the activities properly.
Reference: “Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” by Sizhen Su, Le Shi, Yongbo Zheng, Yankun Sun, Xiaolin Huang, Anyi Zhang, Jianyu Que, Xinyu Sun, Jie Shi, View ORCID ProfileYanping Bao, Jiahui Deng and Lin Lu, 10 August 2022, Neurology
DOI: 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000200929
The research study was moneyed by the Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the PKU-Baidu Fund.
