Seeing your friends every day in your 60s reduces your chances of dementia

Seeing your friends every day in your 50s and 60s reduces your chances of getting dementia, a study has claimed.

Researchers at University College London tracked 10,000 participants over the course of three decades to make the conclusion.

Volunteers who saw their friends almost daily aged 60 were 12 per cent less likely to develop dementia, compared to those who were less social.

Researchers at University College London tracked 10,000 participants over the course of three decades to make the conclusion

The scientists couldn’t confirm a link existed for people who saw their friends regularly at age 50 or 70 – but believe it’s likely to have a similar effect.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, add to emerging evidence that social isolation can lead to the memory-robbing disorder.

Professor Gill Livingston, senior author of the UCL study, said older people who are socially engaged ‘exercise cognitive skills such as memory and language’.

This may help them to develop cognitive reserve, which could help them ‘cope better with the effects of age and delay dementia symptoms’, she added.

Professor Livingston said: ‘Spending more time with friends could also be good for mental wellbeing, and may correlate with being physically active, both of which can also reduce the risk of developing dementia.’ 

Data was taken from the Whitehall II study, which asked 10,228 former civil service workers about how often they saw their friends and relatives.

Participants were asked about their social contact six times between 1985 and 2013. Experts analysed health records to see if they had ever been diagnosed with dementia.

The team took into account a range of other factors that may affect dementia risk such as education, employment, marital status and socioeconomic status.

Analysis of the data revealed people who had almost daily contact at age 50 were eight per cent less likely to go on to develop dementia.

The protective effect appeared to be slightly stronger – nine per cent – for those participants who were still regularly seeing their friends at age 70.

However, the results were not statistically significant, meaning it is likely the figures could have been down to chance – unlike the finding for 60 year olds.

Lead author Dr Andrew Sommerlad said: ‘Dementia is a major global health challenge, with one million people expected to have dementia in the UK by 2021.

‘But we also know one in three cases are potentially preventable. Here we’ve found social contact, in middle age and late life, appears to lower the risk of dementia.

‘This finding could feed into strategies to reduce everyone’s risk of developing dementia, adding yet another reason to promote connected communities and find ways to reduce isolation and loneliness.’

Dr Kalpa Kharicha, of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: ‘It’s important we make changes to our daily lives to ensure we take the time to connect with others.

‘We need more awareness of the benefits that social wellbeing and connectedness can have to tackle social isolation, loneliness and reduce dementia risk.’

Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said it’s too early to say social isolation is a risk factor – but said the study is a ‘step in the right direction’.

She said: ‘As the number of people in the UK with dementia is set to rise to one million by 2021, we must do what we can to reduce our risk.

‘So along with reducing your alcohol intake and stopping smoking, we encourage people across the country to get out into the sunshine, and do something active with family and friends.’

In the US, one in ten people over 65 have dementia, while the condition affects 850,000 in the UK.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders

A GLOBAL CONCERN 

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain.

There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.

Some people may have a combination of types of dementia.

Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way.

Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?

The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer’s.

It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million.

In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer’s sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.

As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.

Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.

IS THERE A CURE?

Currently there is no cure for dementia.

But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are.

Source: Dementia UK