Workplace stimulation ‘reduces dementia risk’

Continued mental stimulation at work can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, it has been claimed.

This assertion was made in a study by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, which also suggested social dealings in the workplace also play their part.

Commenting on the research, Andrew Scheuber, a spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said working later in life “does reduce the risk of dementia”.

He added: “We think the real reason for that is because of the mental stimulation and social interaction that go on in the workplace.”

Published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the research found no tangible correlation between education or employment and dementia risk – but discovered that people who retire later in life extend their mental abilities beyond the threshold for dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Research Trust reveals 700,000 people in the UK have dementia – which costs the UK economy £17 billion per year.