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Delaying Retirement Can Ward Off Senility and Alzheimer’s Disease

It may seem like a bummer if you've been forced to put off your retirement because of the bad economy—but according to a new study, that extra time at work can help keep your brain agile and ward off senility.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on May 19 2009
Picture of an old punch clock.

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Not so long ago, you had a nice, cushy 401(k) plan. You were all ready to retire with plenty of money set aside for that vacation home in Cape Cod, or maybe you’d head down to Mexico for a few months of beachside relaxation to kick off your period of endless leisure.

But now, especially if you’re in the tail end of your career, those so-called golden years are looking a lot grimmer. Thanks to the stock market crash, many older workers will be forced to clock in for several more years than they were planning, just to make ends meet after they finally retire. Mexico will have to wait—for now, you’ll just have to make do with weekend getaways and golf games.

But even though it may seem hard to believe, there is a silver lining to sticking with work for a few more years: according to a new study, it can help you ward off senility.

Recently, researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London researched the life histories of more than 1,300 people who’d been diagnosed with dementia, considering factors such as education, employment, and age of retirement.

According to their findings, one factor was quite consistent in determining when someone might begin showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia: those who retired later were likely to show symptoms of the disease at a later age. They found that for every extra year of work, a person could expect to halt the disease’s progression for an additional six weeks.

“The intellectual stimulation that older people gain from the workplace may prevent a decline in mental abilities, thus keeping people above the threshold for dementia for longer,” Simon Lovestone, one of the study’s co-authors, said in a press statement.

So, while you may not relish the thought of heading into the office for another year or two after hitting 65, just imagine the extra office time as a 401(k) plan for your brain—and once you finally leave the workplace, bring some Sudoku puzzles with you to Mexico, and all will be well.

Filed under: Business, General Interest, Health and Wellbeing,

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