A
new study has shown that individuals who have greater purpose in their lives are
less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or its precursor, mild cognitive
impairment.
"Purpose in life, the psychological tendency to derive meaning from life’s
experiences and to possess a sense of intentionality and goal directedness that
guides behaviour, has long been hypothesized to protect against adverse health
outcomes," said Patricia A. Boyle, and colleagues at Rush University Medical
Center, Chicago.
The researchers assessed this quality in more than 900 community-dwelling older
adults without dementia who were participating in the Rush Memory and Aging
Project.
Participants’ purpose in life was measured by their level of agreement with
statements such as, "I feel good when I think of what I have done in the past
and what I hope to do in the future" and "I have a sense of direction and
purpose in life."
After an average of four years and a maximum of seven years of annual follow-up
clinical evaluations, 155 of 951 participants (16.3 per cent) developed
Alzheimer’s disease.
After controlling for other related variables, the researchers found that
greater purpose in life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a reduced risk of mild cognitive
impairment and a slower rate of cognitive decline.
The authors suggested that the biological basis of the association is unknown,
but may result from the positive effects purpose of life is reported to have on
immune function and blood vessel health.
Source : Archives of General Psychiatry
