Jul 15, 8:28 PM EDT
STUDY: LATER RETIREMENT MAY HELP PREVENT DEMENTIA
BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE
AP CHIEF MEDICAL WRITER
BOSTON (AP) -- New research boosts the "use it or lose it" theory about brainpower and staying mentally sharp. People who delay retirement have less risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, a study of nearly half a million people in France found.
It's by far the largest study to look at this, and researchers say the conclusion makes sense. Working tends to keep people physically active, socially connected and mentally challenged - all things known to help prevent mental decline.
"For each additional year of work, the risk of getting dementia is reduced by 3.2 percent," said Carole Dufouil, a scientist at INSERM, the French government's health research agency.
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