Brainwork 'holds off Alzheimer's'

Daily Mail

Last updated at 15:17 24 September 2005


The best way to avoid Alzheimer's disease is to become a lawyer, scientist or doctor, according to a study.

Having a stimulating job offers protection later in life - and researchers say those three careers come out top. The next best are supervising roles, such as general managers.

Teachers and policemen come next, followed by sales staff and investment bankers.

Those who serve others, such as barmen and waiters, do not fare so well. But at most risk are factory and manual workers - because they have to take instructions from others. The study of more than 10,000 older Swedish adults found that those who did 'complex' work were at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's.

The findings suggest that complex jobs may provide the mental exercise that helps delay the onset of dementia later in life, said the study's lead author, Dr Ross Andel of the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Jobs which involve interacting with other people scored well.

Men and women with the most challenging jobs in this regard were 22 per cent less likely to develop the disease, compared with those with the least complex work. These workers also had a slightly lower risk of all forms of dementia, according to findings published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

Other research has linked higher education, as well as activities such as reading and doing crossword puzzles, to a lower risk of Alzheimer's.

Scientists speculate that those who stay mentally engaged throughout their lives may be helped in withstanding more of the brain damage seen in Alzheimer's before symptoms begin.

Dr Andel said: "There is strong evidence that a person's job can protect them, or otherwise."

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