Have a purpose in life to reduce your dementia risk

Having a purpose in life—it can be anything from doing charity work to being a good parent or grandparent—can reduce your risk of dementia.

It lowers your chances of suffering cognitive decline by around 28 percent, and it also delays the time when you start to lose mental abilities.

Researchers of the world’s blue zones—areas where people tend to live longer—had already recognised that a sense of purpose improves longevity, but now a research team from the University of California at Davis Health has established that it also wards off dementia.

They tracked more than 13,000 people aged 45 and older for 15 years and discovered that those with any sense of purpose—described by the Japanese as ‘ikigai’—are less likely to suffer from dementia, even if they had the APOE4 gene, a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

Typical examples of ikigai include: Caring for family, spending time with grandchildren or supporting a spouse or friend; working or volunteering; having a spiritual belief; having personal goals such as hobbies or learning new skills; and helping others.

The great news is that it’s never too late to find a purpose.  “What’s exciting about this study is that people may be able to ‘think’ themselves into better health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture,” said Thomas Wingo, one of the researchers. “It’s never too early—or too late—to start thinking about what gives your life meaning.”

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