Time to make plans – study says getting together with friends can prevent dementia

Looking for an excuse to get the gang together?

Just let everyone know that meeting up will benefit their long-term health. Your gals' WhatsApp group may be where plans go to die (seriously, how is everyone busy up until November?) but it's worth making the time to see one another. A new study shows that hanging out with friends can help to protect against dementia. Having a catch-up over a cup of tea or even a pint was associated with a lower risk of the degenerative brain disease. The UK research showed that by age 60, those who were around other people on a daily basis were 12 per cent less likely to develop dementia. Over 10,000 middle-aged British people were followed for three decades to determine the effect that socialising had on the brain.

"People who are socially engaged are exercising cognitive skills such as memory and language, which may help them to develop cognitive reserve," said Professor Gill Livingston of University College London, which led the research.

The study, published in the PLOS Medicinejournal, offers the “most robust evidence to date” that socialising is important in the fight against dementia.

“If we had a pill that reduced dementia risk by 10 or 12 per cent, we would all be taking it," Professor Livingston continued. "Our findings suggest doctors should be encouraging people to go out and enjoy themselves with friends."

Something to tell your friends the next time they try and duck out on plans, we reckon.