Caring children can cut your risk of Alzheimer’s

HAVING caring children could cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly parents, according to a study.

The likelihood of suffering the disease was lower in those whose families had a ‘reliable, approachable and understanding relationship’, British researchers found.

But having a stressful and negative relationship raises the risk – as does having no contact.

The authors said ‘critical, unreliable, annoying’ children and family members can cause intense stress that damages older adults’ health.

And the findings, published in the Journal Of Alzheimer’s disease, showed the impact of a negative relationship was greater than that of a positive one.

Researchers looked at 10,055 over50s who were free of Alzheimer’s in 2002 as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants were interviewed every two years over a decade, with 3.4 per cent of them developing dementia.

They also filled out a questionnaire that helped determine their level of social support from family members. The study found an increase in support could cut the risk of developing dementia by up to 17 per cent.

But a more negative family relationship had a greater effect the other way, with the risk rising by as much as 31 per cent as a result.

The authors, from the University of East Anglia, University College London, London Metropolitan University and Nottingham University, said negative support included ‘critical, unreliable and annoying behaviours from spouses or partners, children and other immediate family’.

And they suggested the ‘stress of criticism and lack of reliability are possibly more harmful than the absence of a warm relationship’.

Possible effects of a bad relationship with adult children include a rise in drinking alcohol and smoking, sedentary lifestyles and obesity.

dr Mizanur Khondoker, of the University of East Anglia, said: ‘It is well known that having a rich network of close relationships, including being married and having adult children, is related to a reduced risk of cognitive decline and developing dementia.

‘However, a relationship or social connection that does not work well can be a source of intense interpersonal stress, which may have a negative impact on both physical and mental health of older adults.

‘It is not only the quantity of social connections, but the quality of those connections may be an important factor affecting older people’s cognitive health.’

University College London’s Andrew Steptoe said the findings would ‘add to the impetus’ to help isolated and lonely older people.