People
who have mentally demanding jobs may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s
disease later in life, a study suggests.
Researchers
in the US examined 357 people over the age of 60 – of these, 122 had
Alzheimer’s.
They
then looked at employment records of when they were between their 20s and 50s.
The study found that most people had jobs with about the same level of mental
demands when they were in their 20s. However, this changed in later years.
Those who did not have Alzheimer’s went on to do more mentally demanding jobs. Those
who went on to be diagnosed with the disease did not. They were more likely to
spend their working lives in physical jobs and the mental demands of their jobs
did not change significantly over the decades.
The
researchers, who are based at the Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said
further studies are needed to find out if there really is a link.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
The
UK’s Alzheimer’s Society welcomed the study, saying it lent further support to
the theory that keeping your brain active may reduce the risk of developing the
disease.
