Working longer may delay dementia
Wednesday May 20 2009
THERE's now another reason for working longer -- and this time it involves your health.
Worries about inadequate pensions provision mean we are constantly being told we cannot retire at 65 and may face working into our 70s.
Now medical research indicates that later retirement could extend the period beyond which we are threatened with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's and related dementia currently affects around 38,000 people Ireland.
According to a new study, working an extra year can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by six weeks.
active
Scientists say that keeping the brain active in later life appears to reduce the chances of an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of 382 men with probable dementia.
The findings emerged from a wider study on data from 1,320 people with dementia led by members of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.
The researchers found no link between education or employment and dementia risk -- but found that those who retired later prolonged their mental abilities above the threshold for dementia.
Prof Simon Lovestone, scientific adviser to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "The intellectual stimulation that older people gain from the workplace may prevent a decline in mental abilities, thus keeping people above the threshold for dementia for longer."
mlavery@herald.ie
- Michael Lavery
