一项新研究发现，阅读、跳舞和社交能够降低患痴呆症风险
读书是一种很好的放松方式，但专家发现读书还可能降低患痴呆症风险。根据美国神经病学学会（American Academy of Neurology）医学杂志《神经病学》（Neurology）上发表的一项新研究，研究人员发现进行瑜伽锻炼和与爱人共度时光等休闲活动能够降低一个人患痴呆症的风险。痴呆症这种疾病影响了全世界5,500多万人。
虽然在该项研究中没有开展任何新的调研工作，但专家们探究了世界各地38项既往研究，这些研究共对200万没有罹患痴呆症的人群进行观察。对研究对象进行了至少为期三年的跟踪调查，其中74,700人患上了痴呆症。痴呆症目前是所有病症中第七大致死病症。
在这些研究中，研究对象自述了他们的休闲活动。休闲活动是指“人们为获得乐趣或幸福感而参加的活动”，分为精神活动、身体活动和社交活动。与不参加休闲活动的人群相比，参加这些活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了17%。
趣味性阅读或写作、玩游戏或演奏乐器、制作手工艺品、甚至看电视等精神活动益处最多，参加这些活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了23%。还有研究表明，掌握两种语言能够延缓痴呆症的发病症状，这项研究向人们展示了学习一门新语言的其他益处，即使大脑保持活力、促进健康老龄化。
网络语言学校Lingoda的课程团队负责人菲利帕·温策尔表示：“学习一门新语言涉及并刺激大脑的各个不同部分，并促使各个部分之间产生新的路径和联系。如同身体锻炼改变我们的身体机能，学习一门新语言带来的脑力锻炼也改变着我们的大脑结构。”
进行散步、跑步、瑜伽、体育运动、骑行、舞蹈和集体训练课程等身体活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了17%。参加涉及人际沟通的社交活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了7%，此类活动包括上课、提供志愿服务、探亲访友或参加宗教仪式等。
虽然年龄是痴呆症最常见的风险因素，但它也受到心脏健康与身体活动的影响。痴呆症的症状包括健忘、思绪混乱和沟通困难。该项研究的作者、北京市北京大学第六医院的陆林博士表示，既往研究也表明，休闲活动能够降低患癌风险，减少心房纤颤，并对一个人的总体幸福感产生积极影响。
美国阿尔茨海默症协会（Alzheimer’s Association）医学和科学关系副总裁希瑟·斯奈德博士表示：“虽然对于人们应采取何种确切的风险降低策略来降低患痴呆症的风险尚无定论，但是我们可以从即日起开始将一些行动融入到我们的日常生活中，这些行动可能降低认知衰退的风险，例如坚持有益于心脏健康的饮食习惯、定期锻炼以及保持认知参与等。找到你喜欢做的事情并坚持下去。”（财富中文网）
翻译：郝秀
审校：汪皓
读书是一种很好的放松方式，但专家发现读书还可能降低患痴呆症风险。根据美国神经病学学会（American Academy of Neurology）医学杂志《神经病学》（Neurology）上发表的一项新研究，研究人员发现进行瑜伽锻炼和与爱人共度时光等休闲活动能够降低一个人患痴呆症的风险。痴呆症这种疾病影响了全世界5,500多万人。
虽然在该项研究中没有开展任何新的调研工作，但专家们探究了世界各地38项既往研究，这些研究共对200万没有罹患痴呆症的人群进行观察。对研究对象进行了至少为期三年的跟踪调查，其中74,700人患上了痴呆症。痴呆症目前是所有病症中第七大致死病症。
在这些研究中，研究对象自述了他们的休闲活动。休闲活动是指“人们为获得乐趣或幸福感而参加的活动”，分为精神活动、身体活动和社交活动。与不参加休闲活动的人群相比，参加这些活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了17%。
趣味性阅读或写作、玩游戏或演奏乐器、制作手工艺品、甚至看电视等精神活动益处最多，参加这些活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了23%。还有研究表明，掌握两种语言能够延缓痴呆症的发病症状，这项研究向人们展示了学习一门新语言的其他益处，即使大脑保持活力、促进健康老龄化。
网络语言学校Lingoda的课程团队负责人菲利帕·温策尔表示：“学习一门新语言涉及并刺激大脑的各个不同部分，并促使各个部分之间产生新的路径和联系。如同身体锻炼改变我们的身体机能，学习一门新语言带来的脑力锻炼也改变着我们的大脑结构。”
进行散步、跑步、瑜伽、体育运动、骑行、舞蹈和集体训练课程等身体活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了17%。参加涉及人际沟通的社交活动的人群患痴呆症的风险降低了7%，此类活动包括上课、提供志愿服务、探亲访友或参加宗教仪式等。
虽然年龄是痴呆症最常见的风险因素，但它也受到心脏健康与身体活动的影响。痴呆症的症状包括健忘、思绪混乱和沟通困难。该项研究的作者、北京市北京大学第六医院的陆林博士表示，既往研究也表明，休闲活动能够降低患癌风险，减少心房纤颤，并对一个人的总体幸福感产生积极影响。
美国阿尔茨海默症协会（Alzheimer’s Association）医学和科学关系副总裁希瑟·斯奈德博士表示：“虽然对于人们应采取何种确切的风险降低策略来降低患痴呆症的风险尚无定论，但是我们可以从即日起开始将一些行动融入到我们的日常生活中，这些行动可能降低认知衰退的风险，例如坚持有益于心脏健康的饮食习惯、定期锻炼以及保持认知参与等。找到你喜欢做的事情并坚持下去。”（财富中文网）
翻译：郝秀
审校：汪皓
Reading a book is a nice way to relax, but experts have found that it may also reduce your risk of dementia. In a new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers found that leisure activities, such as doing yoga and spending time with loved ones, could lower a person’s risk of developing dementia, a disease that impacts more than 55 million people around the world.
While the study didn’t include any new research, experts reviewed 38 previous studies from around the world, which observed a total of 2 million people who did not have dementia. Participants were followed for at least three years and 74,700 people developed dementia, which is currently the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases.
In the studies, participants self-reported their leisure activities, which were defined as “those in which people engaged for enjoyment or well-being,” and they were divided into mental, physical, and social activities. Those who participated in such activities had a 17% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who did not.
Mental activities, such as reading or writing for pleasure, playing games or musical instruments, making crafts—and even watching TV—had the most benefits, with people who engaged in these activities having a 23% lower risk of dementia. There’s also research that suggests being bilingual can delay the onset symptoms of dementia, adding to the benefits of learning a new language to keep your brain active and promote healthy aging.
“Learning a new language involves and stimulates multiple different parts of your brain and encourages new pathways and connections to develop between them,” says Philippa Wentzel, curriculum team lead at Lingoda, an online language school. “Just how physical exercise changes our bodies, the mental exercise involved in learning a new language also changes the structures of our brains.”
Those who engaged in physical activities, such as walking, running, yoga, playing sports, cycling, dancing, and group exercise classes, had a 17% lower risk of dementia. Those who participated in social activities that involved communicating with others, such as taking a class, volunteering, visiting relatives or friends, or attending a religious service, had a 7% lower risk of dementia.
While age is the most common risk factor for dementia, it can also be influenced by heart health and physical activity. Symptoms of dementia include forgetfulness, confusion, and difficulty communicating. Previous studies have also indicated that leisure activities can lower cancer risk, reduce atrial fibrillation, and positively impact a person’s overall well-being, according to study author Lin Lu, Ph.D., of Peking University Sixth Hospital in Beijing.
“While the jury is still out on the exact risk reduction strategy that someone should use to reduce their risk of dementia, there are things we can start incorporating into our daily lives today that may reduce our risk of cognitive decline,” says Heather Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association vice president of medical and scientific relations. “Eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, and staying cognitively engaged are just a few. Find something that you enjoy doing and stick with it.”
