One in seven Americans 71 and older has some form of dementia.
A new Swedish study shows that people who are socially active and not easily stressed maybe less likely to develop dementia. This study involved more than 500 older adults without dementia. They were given personality questionnaires that measured how easily stressed they were, how open they were to talking to other people and how often they participated in organizational leisure activities.
The study found that people who were not socially active but calm and relaxed had a 50% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who were isolated and prone to stress. The dementia risk was also 50% lower for those who were outgoing and calm compared to those who were outgoing but prone to stress.