Putting off retirement could reduce dementia risk

Elderly people in France, who delay their retirement, are at lesser risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, a new study has suggested.

Study author Carole Dufouil, a scientist at the French governmental agency INSERM, said that professional activity could be an important determinant of intellectual stimulation and mental engagement, which are thought to be potentially protective against diseases of such type, CBS News reported.

She said that the study of half a million French people suggested that for each additional year of work, the dementia risk was lowered by 3.2 percent.