Study Says Doing This One Thing Can Reduce the Odds of Dementia by More Than 30%

Listening to music could lower the risk of dementia by more than 30%, according to a study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Researchers led by Joanne Ryan, Ph.D., at Monash University in Melbourne tracked 10,893 Australians aged 70 and older who were initially free of dementia. Data came from the ASPREE study and the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons substudy. Over seven years, participants completed cognitive tests and, after year three, answered how often they listened to radio or music and whether they played a musical instrument. The study’s strength was the large sample and long follow-up, aiming to move music from “treatment” to potential prevention.