September 17, 2010 – Being able to count on a quality social network would be linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in seniors, according to a French study1.
The study was conducted over 15 years with 2,089 seniors. Researchers have found that people aged 65 and over who say they are satisfied with their social interactions are 23% less likely to suffer from dementia as they age.
This study reveals that it is the quality rather than the quantity of social connections that seems to play a protective role against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease2. According to the authors, as people get older, they tend to place more value on emotional satisfaction. As a result, seniors gradually limit their social interactions by choosing a smaller group of relatives or friends with whom they have more fulfilling relationships rather than a larger group of people, as younger people do.
The quality of social ties in various aspects of life has been the subject of numerous studies. Benefits for mental health and well-being have already been demonstrated. Maintaining good relationships and engaging in social activities would help, for example, with cognitive functions, that is, mental activities, such as thinking, memorizing and learning.
Researchers encourage health professionals to pay particular attention to the quality of social relationships in older people and to promote it in their dementia prevention strategies.
Louis Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1. Amieva H, Stoykova R et al. What Aspects of Social Network Are Protective for Dementia?, Not the Quantity But the Quality of Social Interactions Is Protective Up to 15 Years Later. Psychosom Med. 2010 Aug 31.
2. The participants had to answer a questionnaire establishing the value of their marital status, the size and nature of their social network, their perception of being understood, the satisfaction and reciprocity (giving and receiving) of their social exchanges. Only these last two aspects revealed a significant link with these diseases.
