Strong Social Interaction Good Medicine

Here's some food for thought: Elderly people with a strong support system of friends and family are much less likely to develop dementia than those with weaker support systems.

A three-year study conducted by the Stockholm Gerontology Research Center found that elderly people with few family or friends or unsatisfying relationships were 60 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with a satisfying social network.

The researchers looked at 1,200 elderly people who lived alone, examining their relationships. They found that dementia was higher in people who lived alone. The quality of their relationships was important, too. For instance, people who saw their children often but did not have satisfying relationships with them were more likely to develop dementia than those who had satisfying relationships, even if they did not see their children frequently.

This study has led some researchers to speculate that a rich and satisfying social network might stave off the onset of dementia in many people.