A recent study reveals that older persons who regularly use the internet may have a reduced chance of developing dementia.
Results from the study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on Wednesday, indicated that regular internet users among 18,000 older persons had around half the risk of acquiring dementia compared with those who did not.
Internet Use Duration
National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration supported the nationally representative University of Michigan Health and Retirement study in which the participants were involved.
Each adult was asked the following question at the beginning of the study and every other year thereafter: Do you regularly use the World Wide Web, or the internet, for sending and receiving e-mail or for any other purpose, such as making purchases, searching for information, or booking travel?
Those with the lowest risk of dementia spent less than two hours per day on the Internet. Those who used the internet for six to eight hours per day were found to have a high risk of developing dementia, although researchers noted that estimates were not significant due to small sample sizes.
The authors of the study refer to the disparities between regular internet users and those who do not use the internet frequently as the digital divide.
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Characteristics Of Dementia
Dementia is characterized by a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities.
More than 6 million people in the United States aged 65 and up are living with Alzheimer’s disease, making it the most prevalent form of dementia. One in nine adults aged 65 and up have Alzheimer’s disease, per the Alzheimer’s Association.
The increasing global population, according to the organization, will lead to a rise in the prevalence of this illness. By 2050, an estimated 12 million people will have Alzheimer’s disease worldwide.
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