Later retirement could delay the onset of dementia
22 May 2009
The best way to reduce your risk of dementia is to combine keeping physically active, with eating a balanced diet and getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly. 
Dr Susanne Sorensen, Head of Research, Alzheimer's Society
Retiring later in life could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London studied 382 men with probable Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers looked at whether education, employment and age of retirement had an effect on the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease in these men.
The results of the study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, showed that men who retired later tended to develop Alzheimer's disease symptoms later. On average, the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease was around six weeks later with every extra year of employment.
No relationship was found between years of education, best qualification obtained or complexity of work and the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease.
"It may be that the intellectual stimulation that older people gain from the workplace prevents a decline in mental abilities, keeping people above the threshold for dementia for longer," explained Dr Michelle Lupton, one of the authors of the paper.
"This study just highlights the fact that it is possible to affect the onset of dementia by lifestyle choices later in life. The nature of retirement in recent years is changing and an active retirement where one keeps their mind and body active may be just as effective," she told the Bupa health information team.
Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, says there could be a number of reasons why later retirement in men is linked with later onset of dementia.
"Men who retire early often do so because of health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, which increase your risk of dementia. It could also be that working helps keep your mind and body active, which may reduce risk of dementia," she explained.
"The best way to reduce your risk of dementia is to combine keeping physically active, with eating a balanced diet and getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly," she added.
Despite their findings, Dr Lupton concluded that much more research is needed in order to understand how to delay or prevent dementia.
Dr Sorensen agrees. "One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years. Investing in research into how to prevent dementia is vital if we are to defeat this devastating condition."
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Related information
- Alzheimer’s disease – health factsheet
- Healthy eating – health factsheet
- Physical activity - health factsheet
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