Findings from a novel study support the implementation of a cognitively active lifestyle in older adults as a means to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Among the key study findings are:

• During a mean follow-up of 6.8 years, 24% of participants were diagnosed with incident Alzheimer's disease.
• Those who developed Alzheimer's disease were older at baseline and less educated.
• People with a high level of premorbid cognitive activity were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a mean of 5 years later than those with low cognitive activity.
• Cognitive activity was not linked to postmortem markers of any type of dementia.

The authors concluded that being cognitively active later in life may delay the onset of dementia in Alzheimer's disease by up to 5 years.