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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Get out and socialize to keep your memory in tact. A new study finds elderly people in the U.S. who have an active social life also have a slower rate of memory decline.
Previous research suggested a connection between social life and memory loss. This is the first large study done in the U.S. and researchers from Harvard School of Public Health conducted it. For the study, researchers used data gathered from 1998 to 2004 in adults 50 years and older. The participants were told a list of ten common nouns and then asked to recall them immediately and after five minutes. This memory test was done in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004. Researchers also evaluated each participants social life by looking at marital status, volunteer activities and contact with parents, children and neighbors.
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Study authors say the results reveal individuals with the highest social integration had the slowest rate of memory decline over the six-year period. Specifically, the most social adults had less than half the memory decline compared to the least active adults.
Social participation and integration have profound effects on health and well being of people during their lifetime, says Lisa Berkman, senior author and chair of the Department of Society, Human Development and Health. We know from previous studies that people with many social ties have lower mortality rates. We now have mounting evidence that strong social networks can help to prevent declines in memory. As our society ages and has more and more older people, it will be important to promote their engagement in social and community life to maintain their well being.
SOURCE: Published online in the American Journal of Public Health on May 29, 2008
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