Dementia’s home truth

PEOPLE living in larger households are at reduced risk of dying from dementia and could slow progression of the disease, researchers say.

A study published in PlosOne looked at variables in living standards and conditions for people over 60 from more than 180 countries.

It measured factors such as GDP, urbanisation, age and household size, and found that people living in larger households or with families fared better than those living alone.

University of Adelaide researcher Wenpeng You said the correlation between household size and reduced risk of the worst impacts of dementia was quite strong.