Men who are socially active have lower risk for dementia

A new study shows that people who are socially active and not easily stressed may be less likely to develop dementia.

The research is published in the January 20, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study found that people who were not socially active but calm and relaxed had a 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared with people who were isolated and prone to distress. The dementia risk was also 50 percent lower for people who were outgoing and calm compared to those who were outgoing and prone to distress.