Healthy social life could ward off dementia, study shows

Being socially active in 50s and 60s linked to lower risk of illness later in life, researchers say

Being socially active in your 50s and 60s may help lower the risk of developing dementia in later life, a study has found.

Researchers studied data that tracked more than 10,000 people from 1985 to 2013. The participants answered a questionnaire every five years about the frequency of their social contact with friends and relatives. They were also subject to cognitive testing, and electronic health records were searched for dementia diagnoses.