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Study finds link between mentally stimulating jobs and lower dementia risk
Doing a mentally stimulating job during midlife can reduce your risk of dementia, according to a new study.
People with a history of cognitively stimulating occupations during their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s have a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia after the age of 70, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health highlight the importance of cognitive stimulation during midlife for maintaining cognitive function in old age.
“Our study highlights the importance of mentally challenging job tasks to maintain cognitive functioning in later life,” says Dr Vegard Skirbekk, professor in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and the Columbia Aging Center, who initiated the project.
The researchers found that, after adjusting for age, sex and education, the group with low occupational cognitive demands had a 37 percent higher risk of dementia compared to the group with high occupational cognitive demands. Education was also found to be an important factor for dementia risk in addition to occupational complexity.
The researchers make the point that the study identifies associations rather than direct causation of dementia. Moreover, it does not distinguish between different cognitive requirements within the same occupational category, nor does it consider the evolution of job responsibilities over the years.
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