Artistic Activity Cuts Risk of Cognitive Impairment By 75%

Lifestyle factors during mid to late life could help protect against mild cognitive impairment MCI, according to a recent study.

“Participants in the population-based prospective Mayo Clinic Study of Aging were comprehensively evaluated at baseline and at 15 monthly intervals to determine incident MCI,” said the study’s authors.
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For the study, 256 participants with healthy cognitive function (median age 87.3 years) were evaluated for lifestyle factors in mid life and late life through self-reported questionnaires. The patients’ comorbid and vascular conditions were taken from their medical records.

The study showed that 121 of the participants manifested MCI at a median of a 4.1-year follow-up.

MCI predictors were seen in those with current symptoms of depression, the onset of hypertension during midlife, and other chronic conditions.

Researchers discovered that MCI risk was decreased by nearly 75% in individuals who reported artistic activities during their midlife and late life, and those who used computers and participated in social activities late in life showed a 50% reduction in risk.

Researchers adjusted for educations and sex, while age was used as s a measure of time.

The complete study is published in the April issue of Neurology.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:

Roberts RO, Cha RH, Mielke, et al. Risk and protective factors for cognitive impairment in persons aged 85 years and older. Neurology. 2015 April [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001537.