SINGAPORE April 19
Playing mahjong regularly and watching television game shows help keep dementia at bay among the elderly, experts stated on Monday.
By playing mahjong once or twice a week,or trying to outdo contestants in game shows, the elderly are forced to think and analyse, according to Associate Professor Tang Bor Luen of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology.
These activities keep the neurons in the brain alive, Tang told The Straits Times, adding physical activity helps.
Dementia is one of the most debilitating of the old-age illnesses, causing such severe memory loss that some elderly people need constant care.
Recent studies have showed a strong link between dementia and LDL, or bad cholesterol, which clogs arteries and reduces blood flow to the brain, said Professor Barry Halliwell, head of the NUS' biochemistry department.
Statins, which lower LDL levels, could help the elderly retain their memories, he noted.
The advice was given as Singapore prepares to host the Asia- Pacific Anti-Ageing Conference in June.
The global proportion of those in their 60s and above is expected to leap from one in 10 currently to an estimated one in three by 2050.
Sapa-DPA
