Listening to music associated with lower dementia risk: Study

Older adults who engage with music may significantly lower their risk of dementia, according to a new study.

Researchers at Monash University led a study of 10,800 people over the age of 70 and looked at the benefits of music in their lives. They found that frequently listening to music compared to either listening only sometimes or never listening to music lowers the risk of dementia by 39 percent.

Those who played an instrument saw a decreased dementia risk of at least 35 percent. Regularly engaging in both activities was associated with a 33 percent decreased risk of dementia and 22 percent decreased risk of cognitive impairment, according to the study.

The World Health Organization reports that around 57 million people worldwide have dementia. Research done at New York University's Langone Health showed that around a million Americans are expected to cognitive disorder by 2060.

The researchers said that with no cure for dementia available at the moment, it is critical to find strategies that can help prevent or delay the onset of the disease.

"Evidence suggests that brain aging is not just based on age and genetics but can be influenced by one's own environmental and lifestyle choices," said Joanne Ryan, one of the study's authors.