Owning a pet helps reduce dementia risks later in life, a new study reveals. Not only do pets provide companionship and promote physical activity, but they also offer mental and emotional stimulation that can help maintain brain health.
The study found that pet ownership was associated with slower rates of decline in verbal memory, verbal fluency, and composite verbal cognition among older adults living alone, but not among those living with others. Pet ownership completely offsets the declining rates of verbal memory, verbal fluency, and composite verbal cognition associated with living alone. The findings provide insights for public health policies aimed at slowing cognitive decline in older adults living alone.
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