Reading and mental activities may cut Alzheimer’s risk by 38%, study finds

A scientific study has revealed that high levels of cognitive enrichment throughout life are linked to a 38% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a delay in the onset of the disease by about six years compared to those with the lowest levels of cognitive enrichment.

The study tracked data from 1,939 people, 75% of whom were women, with an average age of 80. None of the participants had dementia at the start of the research, which followed them for around eight years, according to a report published by the UK’s Independent newspaper.

Researchers focused on mentally stimulating activities and experiences at different stages of participants’ lives, from childhood through midlife to older age. Factors evaluated included access to books, encyclopedias, globes, and atlases, reading and learning habits, parental education levels, and newspaper subscriptions.

In midlife, the study examined income levels, availability of reading materials, library memberships, and cultural activities such as museum visits. In later life, from around age 80, the assessment focused on reading, writing, playing games, and income level.

After using a scoring system and adjusting for factors such as age, gender, and education, researchers found that participants in the top 10% for cognitive enrichment were 38% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and 36% less likely to experience mild cognitive impairment, compared to those in the lowest 10%.

Higher cognitive enrichment was also linked to delayed onset of symptoms: Alzheimer’s appeared at an average age of 94 among those with the highest enrichment, compared to 88 for the lowest group. Mild cognitive impairment was diagnosed at an average age of 85 in the highest group, versus 78 in the lowest.

During the follow-up period, 551 people developed Alzheimer’s, while 719 experienced mild cognitive impairment. The Alzheimer’s rate among those with the highest cognitive enrichment was 21%, compared to 34% among those with the lowest.

Dr. Andrea Zammit, a researcher at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said: “Our findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments.”

Dr. Isolde Radford, policy director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This new research shows that staying mentally active throughout life can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by nearly 40%.”

She added that the findings support what is already known about preventive steps individuals can take to reduce dementia risk, noting that dementia is not an inevitable part of aging and that cognitive health develops over a lifetime.

Radford noted that only a third of adults in the UK are aware that dementia risk can be reduced, meaning millions are missing opportunities to protect their brain health.

She concluded that prevention is “crucial,” calling on the government to lead a comprehensive approach to brain health, from tackling air pollution and making healthy food affordable to prioritizing early years education.