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Arts And Crafts Activities May Ward Off Dementia, Study Finds

Arts And Crafts Activities May Ward Off Dementia
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Senior Reporter, HuffPost

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Please, no more snark about midlife knitters, potters and jewelry-making hobbyists. They may be on to something when it comes to staving off dementia in later years.

People who participate in arts and crafts and who socialize in middle and old age may delay the development of the thinking and memory problems that often lead to the dementia that plagues the elderly, according to a new study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People age 85 and older are the fastest growing age group in the United States and worldwide.

"As millions of older US adults are reaching the age where they may experience these memory and thinking problems called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), it is important we look to find lifestyle changes that may stave off the condition," said study author Rosebud Roberts of the Mayo Clinic and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study supports the idea that engaging the mind may protect neurons, or the building blocks of the brain, from dying, stimulate growth of new neurons, or may help recruit new neurons to maintain cognitive activities in old age," he said in a press release.

Study participants who engaged in arts and crafts in both middle and old age were 73 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who did not report engaging in artistic activities. Those who crafted in middle and old age were 45 percent less likely to develop MCI, and people who socialized in middle and old age were 55 percent less likely to develop MCI compared to those who did not engage in like activities. Computer use in later life was associated with a 53 percent reduced risk of MCI, according to the release.

The self-reported study involved 256 people -- with an average age of 87 -- who were free of memory and thinking problems at the start of the study. The study observed the association of behavior to MCI, but did not explore whether people who will soon develop signs of MCI are less inclined to get involved in crafts.

This isn't the first study that linked keeping an active mind to preserving mental faculties. In 2009, researchers looked at data from the Bronx Aging Study on 488 people who were between the ages of 75 and 85 and who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They reported how often they participated in six mentally stimulating activities: reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing a board or card game, participating in a group discussion, or playing music. The researchers followed up in five years and found that the more mentally active the person was, the longer it took for the onset of memory decline to show up.

Of course there's more to it than just doing a crossword puzzle a day. Other studies have found that people with high blood sugar, depression and other chronic conditions are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment.

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Before You Go

11 Easy Ways To Shorten Your Life
1. Make Bad Dietary Choices(01 of11)
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Over the years, there's been a lot of debate related to diet and longevity. But most experts agree that a diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates is best. And some studies show that eating a traditional Mediterranean diet can add years to your life. (credit:Shutterstock)
2. Never Check Your Cholesterol(02 of11)
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Just like high blood pressure, high cholesterol can also increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Therefore it's a good idea to have your cholesterol checked to see whether you need to undergo certain lifestyle changes or even possibly take some kind of cholesterol-lowering medication. For more information about cholesterol and saturated fats, go here.Eating certain foods, such as beans, which are rich in fiber and antioxidants, can help lower cholesterol. (credit:Getty Images)
3. Mix Alcohol And Prescription Or Illicit Drugs(03 of11)
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Even drinking wine with dinner and then taking prescription sleep aides can be a lethal combination. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found 5.8 percent of people age 50 to 59 used illicit drugs in 2010, up from 2.7 percent in 2002. (credit:Alamy)
4. Never Check For Diabetes(04 of11)
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The number of Americans with Type 2 diabetes is expected to rise from 30 million today to 46 million by 2030, when one of every four boomers -- 14 million -- will be living with this chronic disease, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Untreated diabetes can lead to blindness, amputations and clogged arteries that can cause heart attacks and strokes. The test to determine whether you are diabetic is a simple blood test; you should remind your doctor to include it in your annual physical. (credit:Alamy)
5. Pack On The Pounds(05 of11)
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More than one out of every three boomers -- more than 21 million -- will be considered obese by 2030. Already, we are the demographic with the highest and fastest-growing rate of obesity. As we age, our metabolism slows down and we burn fewer calories -- if we don't alter our eating and exercise patterns, weight gain is inevitable. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and a host of other life-threatening ailments. Losing just 10 percent of your body weight has health benefits, so consider that as a goal. (credit:Alamy)
6. Ignore The Signs Of A Heart Attack(06 of11)
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No chest pain doesn't mean no heart attack. Women having heart attacks frequently report experiencing a feeling of indigestion and extreme fatigue, while some men say they feel a fullness or a squeezing pain in the center of the chest, which may spread to the neck, shoulder or jaw. When a diabetic has a heart attack, the pain is often displaced to other areas such as the lower back. (credit:Alamy)
7. Get Little Sleep(07 of11)
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Try as you might, you just can't stay asleep, right? You pass out before "60 Minutes" is over, but then wake up around midnight and count sheep until the alarm goes off. If that sounds like you, you aren't alone. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that boomers report not getting enough sleep between one and 13 nights each month.Is it life-threatening? In itself, no. But as soon as you slip behind the wheel bleary-eyed, you are putting yourself and others at risk. Your reflexes are slower, you pay less attention and you could become one of the more than 100,000 Americans who fall asleep at the wheel and crash each year. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that's a conservative estimate, by the way. Driver fatigue results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. (credit:Alamy)
8. Avoid Exercise(08 of11)
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AARP says the minimum you need to stay healthy are muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week, plus 2.5 hours a week of moderate activity like walking or 75 minutes a week of a more intense activity like jogging. Exercise is also good for your memory: Just one year of walking three times a week can increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that's key to memory. (credit:Alamy)
9. Carry The World's Burdens On Your Shoulders(09 of11)
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We're talking about stress with a capital S. Boomers are the sandwich generation, caught in the middle of caring for our parents and our children. We were deeply affected by the recession and boomers have the highest rates of depression by age demographic. Unless we unload, we are going to implode. (credit:Alamy)
10. Carry A Beer Belly And A Caboose(10 of11)
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It isn't just our extra weight; it's where we carry it. An excess of visceral fat causes our abdomens to protrude excessively. We call it a "pot belly" or "beer belly" or if the visceral fat is on our hips and buttocks, we say we are "apple shaped." Cute names aside, scientists now say that body fat, instead of body weight, is the key to evaluating obesity. And guess what? It's all bad. (credit:Alamy)
11. Continue To Smoke(11 of11)
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Gallup found that baby boomers between the ages of 44 and 54 reported higher levels of smoking than those immediately younger or those who are older. Hard to imagine that they haven't gotten the word yet about the risks cigarettes carry. (credit:Alamy)
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