Using two hours of internet a day could reduced the risk of developing dementia, study finds
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Sending emails, being active on social media, and shopping online “regular Internet use” reduce the risk of developing dementia by 43% among older people.
The study led by Virginia Chang found that using online services for up to two hours a day minimizes the risk of dementia.
The use of the Internet helps to maintain, and even improve, cognitive functions, including in older people.
However, few studies show that the Internet can help reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly.
In many of them, the participants are observed for a short period and do not take into account the time spent on the Internet.
THE STUDY
Now scientists from New York University decided to understand the situation.
They used data from a large longitudinal study of the health of older Americans over 50, which asked participants about their internet activity between 2002 and 2016.
The period of observation of participants for the purpose of assessing cognitive abilities lasted from 2002 to 2018 (median: 7.9 years, maximum: 17.1 years).
Cognitive status was assessed using a telephone interview questionnaire.
All participants were asked whether they regularly use the Internet for any purpose - sending emails, online shopping, using social networks.
Those who answered “yes” were additionally specified the time they spend using online services.
In total, the analysis included 18,154 people, of which 64.76% regularly used the Internet, the demographic and cognitive characteristics of both groups were similar.
For 20.54% of participants, the length of time spent on the Internet changed during the observation period.
Those who regularly used the Internet had an overall risk of developing dementia of 1.54%, while those who did not use the internet had a 10.45%.
On average, regular Internet use reduced the risk of dementia by 43%.
Different statistical models showed similar results. Those who spent on the Internet from 10 minutes to two hours were least at risk.
The study shows that older people who regularly use the Internet for less than two hours a day are more protected from developing dementia compared to those who do not use the Internet.
Further research should be directed to the study of behavior patterns of the elderly in the network, and how they affect the risk of developing dementia.
Sources:
- Journal of American Geriatrics Society: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ftr/10.1111/jgs.18394
- News Medical: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230503/Study-finds-link-between-regular-internet-use-and-lower-risk-of-dementia.aspx
- SciTech Daily: https://scitechdaily.com/internet-the-new-dementia-deterrent/
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