We already know that spending time with friends is important to our happiness as we age.
Now a new study has found that social interactions, the ability to listen and be listened to, are important for your ability to stave off cognitive decline – from middle age.
“This study adds to growing evidence that people can take steps, either for themselves or the people they care about most, to increase the odds they’ll slow down cognitive ageing or prevent the development of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – something that is all the more important given that we still don’t have a cure for the disease,” says lead researcher Joel Salinas, assistant professor of neurology at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that in 2020 there were between 400,000 and 459,000 Australians with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for up to 70 per cent of diagnosed cases.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition that interferes 
with memory, language, decision-making, and the ability to live independently.
Dr Salinas, whose work is published in JAMA Network Open, says for every unit of decline in brain volume, individuals in their 40s and 50s with low listener availability had a cognitive age that was four years older than those with high listener availability.
“These four years can be incredibly precious. Too often we think about how to protect our brain health when we’re much older, after we’ve already lost a lot of time decades before to build and sustain brain-healthy habits,” says Dr Salinas.
“But today, right now, you can ask yourself if you truly have someone available to listen to you in a supportive way, and ask your loved ones the same.”
“Taking that simple action sets the process in motion for you to ultimately have better odds of long-term brain health and the best quality of life you can have.”
Be sure you talk to someone today and make certain you listen to what they say in response.
