Lifelong Cognitive Enrichment Reduces Alzheimer's Risk by 38%

People in the top 10% for lifelong cognitive enrichment have a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. These findings come from a study of 1,939 adults with an average age of 80, who were tracked for eight years. Researchers calculated enrichment scores based on activities and resources from childhood, middle age, and middle age, and later life. This included access to books, newspapers, and libraries, as well as learning foreign languages. The timing of disease onset also differed. People with the highest enrichment developed Alzheimer's at an average age of 94, compared to age 88 for those with the lowest enrichment. Those with higher enrichment developed mild cognitive impairment at an average age of 85, compared to age 78 for those with the lowest enrichment.