Elderly, when using the Internet regularly… Reduces dementia by half compared to irregular use
Regular use of the Internet has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly. Regular use of the Internet by older adults was found to reduce the risk of dementia by around 50% compared to irregular use.
This was revealed in a telephone interview conducted every two years by Professor Gawon Cho of the New York City Graduate School of Global Public Health of 18,154 community-dwelling seniors without dementia who had completed a basic cognitive assessment.
The research team followed the participants for up to 17.1 years (average 7.9 years) between 2002 and 2018, which is the longest study ever followed.
Of the entire sample, 64.76% were general internet users, and the content of the survey was limited to Internet use time for pure activities other than watching TV programs or movies.
At the end of the study, 4.68% of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia, and based on this data, the researchers analyzed and investigated the time of internet use and the timing of the onset of dementia, respectively.
The researchers also looked at whether the association between Internet use and dementia risk varied by educational attainment, race-ethnicity, or gender, but found no significant effect.
Regular internet use reduced the risk of dementia by 21%, especially when using the internet for 10 minutes to 2 hours.
However, excessive use of the Internet for more than 2 hours a day has been found to adversely affect cognitive function. The risk of dementia increased after 2 hours, and the highest risk was shown when using 6 hours 10 minutes to 8 hours. The research team added that this is not statistically significant, so further research is needed.
Professor Cho said, “Regular internet users in the elderly may have a lower risk of dementia compared to irregular users, and a longer period of regular internet use in late adulthood may help reduce the risk of subsequent dementia .”
However, he warned that “excessive daily use of the Internet may negatively affect the risk of dementia in older adults.”
“Stimulating the brain by learning new things is a good way to prevent dementia,” said the research team.
This research report is published by Am Giatr Soc. It was featured in the latest online edition.
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