They answered statements like ‘I have a strong sense of direction and purpose in life’ with six possible responses from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’.<\/p>\n
Then their answers were scored and averaged to give a number between 1 and 6, and the higher the value the higher their sense of purpose in life.<\/p>\n
The US researchers found people with a higher sense of purpose in life were 28 per cent less likely to develop cognitive impairment\u2014including dementia.<\/p>\n
This protective effect was seen even when factors like in race, ethnicity, education, genetics and depression<\/a>\u00a0were taken into account.<\/p>\n ‘Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age,’ said Aliza Wingo, lead author of the study, and professor at the UC Davis.<\/p>\n ‘Even for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, sense of purpose was linked to a later onset and lower likelihood of developing dementia.’<\/p>\n A new study has found having a sense of purpose can help lower risk of developing dementia<\/p>\n They also found those with higher purpose experienced cognitive decline on average 1.4 months later than those without it.<\/p>\n While this is modest, they say it is meaningful in comparison to treatments available to treat the devastating illness.<\/p>\n ‘While medications like lecanemab and donanemab can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, they come with risks and costs,’ said Nicholas C. Howard, one of the authors and researchers at UC Davis<\/p>\n ‘Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible. It’s something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities,’ he told <\/a>News Medical Life Sciences.<\/p>\n And while the study didn’t ask participants what gave them purpose, previous research has suggested types of activities that can.<\/p>\n These include spending time with family, volunteering, spiritual practices, hobbies and acts of kindness.<\/p>\n However, the researchers add that their findings didn’t prove higher purpose lowers rates of dementia.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/101726173-15054003-image-a-7_1756724273008.jpg\")
<\/p>\n