“What’s exciting about this study is that people may be able to ‘think’ themselves into better health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture. It’s never too early — or too late — to start thinking about what gives your life meaning,” said co-author of the study, Thomas Wingo, professor and neurologist at the University of California Davis Health, in a press release.
In the current study, researchers investigated the relationship between a sense of purpose in life and the development of cognitive impairment. To do so, they analyzed data from 13, 765 participants aged 45 or older from the Health and Retirement Study. All had normal cognitive performance at baseline.
Cognitive performance was assessed once every two years via a telephone interview while purpose in life was assessed at the start of the study via a seven-item questionnaire. Participants were followed for up to 15 years. Ultimately, 1,820 participants- or 13%- developed cognitive impairment.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that those with higher purpose in life scores had a significantly lower risk of cognitive impairment than those with lower scores. The link remained after adjusting for the APOE E4 gene- a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease- as well as sex, baseline age, education, average depressive symptoms, and race/ ethnicity. Those with higher levels of purpose in life also had a slightly later onset age of cognitive impairment- around 1.4 months over an eight-year period.
“While medications like lecanemab and donanemab can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, they come with risks and costs. Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible. It’s something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities,” said first author of the study, Nicholas C. Howard, public health researcher at the University of California, Davis, in a press release.
Sources: EurekAlert, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry