Study: hard physical labor increases risk of dementia

A high level of professional physical activity is associated with an increased risk of dementia. This conclusion was reached by a group of scientists from the University of Oslo, the results of the study are published in The Lancet.

The study involved more than seven thousand men and women who were engaged in physical labor of varying degrees of severity. Scientists analyzed their health data from 1960 to 2014.

In 902 participants who reached the age of 70, dementia was diagnosed, and in 2407 - mild cognitive impairment (minor problems with memory, ability to concentrate and solve logical problems).

Scientists have established a regularity: the harder the physical labor was, the higher the probability of dementia onset. At the same time, if the subject was engaged in physical labor for some time and then moved to a more skilled job with less physical exertion, the risk of dementia decreased.

"Regular work in occupations with moderate to high occupational physical activity was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment, indicating the importance of developing strategies for people in physically demanding occupations to prevent cognitive impairment," the researchers concluded.

The recommendations lie on the surface: if your job is physically demanding, you should give yourself the opportunity to rest and recover. The second rule - be sure to train the brain in the off-hours. Since hard work usually does not require high qualifications and serious mental work, you need to fill this gap yourself.