Research shows that unrewarding work increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in old age

Subscribe to CNN's “Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style.” Our 8-part guide introduces you to an expert-backed, delicious eating lifestyle that will improve your health for a lifetime..

CNN
—

Working hard and using your mind at work can pay off in more ways than just improving your career. protect one's perception and please help prevent dementia As we get older, a new study finds.

If you work a routine job with little mental stimulation while in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, you're 66% more likely to: mild cognitive impairment 37% increased risk of dementia Research shows that after age 70, compared to working in jobs with high cognitive and interpersonal demands,

“Our findings demonstrate the value of pursuing occupations that require more complex thinking as a way to maintain memory and thinking skills in old age,” said lead author and author of the Norwegian said Dr Trine Edwin, a researcher at Oslo University Hospital. “The workplace is critical to promoting cognitive health.”

The years I spent at school were helpful. resist shock It's a repetitive job, but not perfect, Edwin said. For example, attending college reduced the impact of repetitive work by about 60%, but it did not completely cancel out the risk.

Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Florida Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, said, “Staying actively engaged in life, maintaining a sense of purpose, learning new things, and remaining socially active are key to cognitive decline as we age.'' “It's a powerful tool to protect yourself from.” ,on mail.

“Similarly, this study shows that being cognitively engaged in the workplace may have significant benefits in the fight against dementia,” said Isaacson, who was not involved in the new study. said.

“Just as we can grow and maintain muscle through physical exercise, train your brain More engaging work assignments and continued interaction with colleagues also appear to help prevent dementia. ”

the study, Published in Neurology on WednesdayThe Journal of the American Academy of Neurology analyzed health and occupational data from 7,000 Norwegians who were followed from their 30s until they retired in their 60s.

“Many other studies on this topic just look at the most recent occupation that people have, but thanks to a national database in Norway, we are able to track people for most of their lives. ” said Edwin.

To conduct their analysis, Edwin and her team categorized the cognitive demands of 305 Norwegian occupations. Routine jobs that were not classified as “cognitive protection” often involve repetitive physical and mental tasks, typical of things like factory work and bookkeeping.

“Most of the people in our sample who had routine jobs included housekeepers, janitors, construction workers, and mail carriers,” Edwin said.

Jobs that required more cognitive abilities were not based on routine tasks, even though they sometimes required repetition. Daily tasks often involve creative thinking, analyzing information, problem solving, and explaining ideas and information to others. This mentally stimulating job also requires interpersonal skills, such as coaching and motivating others.

“This group included lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers and civil servants, but the most common profession was teaching,” Edwin said. “Teachers have a lot of interaction with students and parents, and they have to explain and analyze information. It's not that routine.”

Many of the study participants continued to work in jobs of similar complexity during their working years. This consistency is a strength of the study, Edwin said, as it allows researchers to study the effects of occupation over time. However, this study was unable to account for job differences within specific occupations.

“As the saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it, and this applies equally to cognitive activities throughout the lifespan,” Isaacson said.

“We speculate that people at risk for Alzheimer's disease would benefit well from taking advantage of opportunities for professional advancement, learning new jobs, and developing skills in the workplace over a period of time, but in the future. 's research will help reveal which specific activities influence Alzheimer's risk and have the greatest benefits for brain health,' he added.

Adopt a brain-healthy lifestyle (e.g. diet) mediterranean style meallimit alcohol, quit smoking, and stay on top of vascular risk factors such as: high blood pressurediabetes, high cholesterol, and hearing and vision loss, all while regularly evaluating and treating them. enough sleep and managing stress “It could help people reverse cognitive decline,” he said.