Greater purpose in life associated with reduced Alzheimer’s risk

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center, US, found that people who report having greater purpose in their lives appear less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings are published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

The researchers assessed 951 older adults without dementia and measured their sense of purpose in life using a series of questions. After an average of four years of follow-up clinical evaluations, 155 participants had developed Alzheimer’s disease. After controlling for some variables, greater purpose in life was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Specifically, individuals with a high score on the purpose in life measure were approximately 2.4 times more likely to remain free of Alzheimer’s disease than individuals with the lowest scores.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said:

"We can surely gain a lot from setting positive goals in life, though how helpful this can be in combating dementia is not conclusive. Studies like this can often be difficult to interpret, as there are many factors that could influence the results and these findings need to be verified in other groups of people.

"Previously other psychological factors, such as loneliness, have been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. The biological basis for these is not yet known. One great purpose we should all have in our lives is to fund dementia research.

"820,000 people already have dementia, a number forecast to rise as our population ages, yet research is seriously underfunded – we urgently need to increase research funding if we are to find an answer to this devastating disease."

(Source: Alzheimer’s Research Trust: Archives of General Psychiatry: March 2010)