CEU Cardenal Herrera University

Although it is well known that physical activity can help reduce the risk of dementia, a study published inThe Lancet Public Health now suggests that context matters. According to a meta-analysis incorporating data from more than four million people, leisure-time exercise — such as walking, cycling, running, swimming or playing sports — is associated with a substantially lower risk of developing dementia. Conversely, physical activity carried out as part of one’s job is linked to a higher risk of developing the condition. As this is an observational study, it does not allow us to determine whether work causes dementia.

According to a meta-analysis published in Nature Human Behaviour, the widespread use of digital technology may be associated with lower rates of cognitive decline in people over the age of 50. The results of the study — which analysed 57 studies involving more than 400,000 people with an average age of 69 — seem to contradict the hypothesis that the daily use of technology weakens cognitive ability.