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.”

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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.