Those who surf the Internet in middle age can more than halve their risk of dementia later in life, a study has shown.
And the protective effect is more pronounced for those who use smartphones than computers.
Scientists believe that processing the large amounts of information found online can benefit people’s brains, while the use of social media can help combat loneliness, now recognized as one of the main risk factors for loneliness. condition.
Around 900,000 people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The number is expected to rise to 1.5 million by 2040 due to the aging population.
Doctors recommend regular exercise, a healthy diet and limited alcohol intake to protect against the disease.
An active social life and stimulating mental tasks, such as riddles and crossword puzzles, are also believed to help.
And Internet use could be added to the list of beneficial activities. Researchers at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, began tracking more than 12,000 people aged 45 and older without dementia in 2011.
They were periodically tested to see how much time they spent on the Internet and for signs of dementia.
Those who surf the Internet in middle age can more than halve their risk of dementia later in life, a new study has shown. (File image)
Around 900,000 people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. (File image)
The results, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, showed that over the next decade, only 2.2 percent of regular Internet users developed dementia, compared with 5.3 percent of non-users.
And the preventive effect seemed slightly stronger with smartphones than with laptops, possibly because they are used more frequently to access the web.
The findings support the results of an Australian study that found that men over 70 who surfed the web reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s by about 50 percent.
In a report on the latest findings, researchers said: “Internet use has the potential to slow age-related cognitive decline.” It can improve attention and psychomotor skills and improve cognitive reserve.
“Or it may be that there is a sense of belonging created by online activities.”