Taxing jobs with power could ward off dementia

PEOPLE with mentally challenging jobs are less likely to develop dementia in later life, scientists believe.

One reason could be that brain stimulation is linked to lower levels of proteins that may block cells from connecting.

An international team led by University College London researchers found the risk of later life dementia was lower for those with highly stimulating work. Having a job with some power rather than no control also helped.

The scientists tracked more than 100,000 participants aged 45 on average for 17 years.

Hobbies

Study lead author Professor Mika Kivimaki said mental activity was also associated with lower levels of three proteins linked to cognitive stimulation in adulthood and dementia, “providing possible clues to underlying biological mechanisms”.

But he cautioned that this was an observational study so dementia risk could be due to other factors, adding: “The results seem to be generalisable across different populations.”

Prof Kivimaki’s team, who analysed seven studies, factored in lifestyle and known risk factors including diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.

They found men and women faced the same threat of dementia.

Getting the grey matter going outside of work through hobbies is not believed to offer the same protection as a taxing job because the stimulation is shorterlived. The findings are published by medical journal the BMJ.