Study finds listening to music reduces dementia risk for elderly

By Stephen Beech

Older people who listen to music often slash their risk of dementia by more than a third, according to a new study.

Researchers found that listening to or playing music at the age of 70 and older is linked to a reduction of up to 39% in the chances of developing the debilitating condition.

Increases in life expectancy due to advances in medicine and technology have seen a rise in the prevalence of age‐related diseases, including dementia and cognitive decline.

The new study, involving more than 10,800 older people, looked at the benefits of listening to music or playing music.

The findings showed that always listening to music - compared with never, rarely or sometimes doing so - was associated with a 39% decreased risk of dementia.

Playing an instrument was