Physical and mental activity can keep Alzheimer's disease at bay, new research shows

• Washington: A variety of activities like exercise, household chores and even dancing can help people avoid Alzheimer's - the most common form - and other types of dementia.
• US researchers say they found that variety was more important for preventing dementia than the amount of calories burned in exercise and other physical activities.
• "We don't yet know why this association exists or what causes it," said Constantine Lyketsos, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Johns Hopkins University.
• "It could be that maintaining a variety of activities keeps more parts of the brain active, or that this variety reflects better engagement in both physical and social activities."
• The study included 3 375 men and women over the age of 64 who did not have dementia when the programme began.
• Each volunteer answered questions about the frequency and duration of physical activities, such as walking, household chores, gardening, dancing, bowling or swimming.
• Factors such as age, gender, education level, ethnicity, smoking and alcohol use were also considered.
• Over the next five years, 480 people developed dementia, of whom only 84 who had listed four or more activities developed dementia.
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