Stay calm to prevent dementia

The study, published in the journal Neurology, was carried out on 500 people aged 78 or older over six years. They were given questionnaires that measured neuroticism - a term meaning easily distressed, and extraversion - or openness to talking to people.

The study showed that people who are calm and contented, even if they were socially inactive, had a 50% lower risk of developing dementia compared to people who were prone to distress and socially isolated. Being generally outgoing and calm also significantly reduced the risk of dementia compared to people who were outgoing, but nervous and easily distressed.

Previous studies have shown that chronic distress may lead to dementia. The key to avoiding dementia, according to this study, is to be calm and contented and to keep a rich social network into old age.

These are lifestyle factors that can be modified - people who are easily distressed and not very outgoing should make an effort to be socially active to reduce their risk of dementia.