Health
Listening to music after 70 may cut dementia risk by nearly 40%, new study suggests
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A new study that suggests listening to or playing music could slash the risk of dementia might have you singing a new tune.
Adults over 70 who regularly listen to music were nearly 40% less likely to develop dementia — a group of cognitive disorders that cause a decline in memory, thinking and other mental abilities — according to a new study from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Those who always listened to music showed a 39% lower risk of developing dementia and better memory performance, while those who played instruments had a 35% lower risk.
STUDY REVEALS WHY ‘SUPER AGERS’ MAINTAIN ‘OUTSTANDING MEMORY’ INTO THEIR 80S
Doing both offered an even greater protective effect against cognitive decline, the researchers, led by Monash honors student Emma Jaffa and Professor Joanne Ryan, found.
Researchers found that seniors who play an instrument or regularly listen to music may have better brain health in later years. (iStock)
“With no cure currently available for dementia, the importance of identifying strategies to help prevent or delay onset of the disease is critical,” Ryan said in a statement.
“Evidence suggests that brain aging is not just based on age and genetics but can be influenced by one’s own environmental and lifestyle choices,” she added.
EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL LINKED TO HIGHER DEMENTIA RISK IN OLDER ADULTS, STUDY SHOWS
More than 10,800 adults aged 70 and older were tracked for several years as part of long-running Australian studies, and they were asked if they always, often, sometimes, rarely or never listened to and play music, according to the paper published last month in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Regularly engaging in both listening to and playing music also reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is less severe than dementia, by 22%, and was linked to higher scores in overall cognition and episodic memory, which helps people recall everyday events.
Playing a musical instrument later in life could help strengthen memory and thinking skills, scientists say. (iStock)
Dementia affects about 57 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and the findings suggest music may offer a simple way to help protect cognitive function, but do not prove that it directly prevents dementia.
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“Music activities may be an accessible strategy for maintaining cognitive health in older adults, though causation cannot be established,” the researchers noted.
The overall benefits of music were most pronounced among older adults with higher education levels — those who had completed at least 16 years of schooling — while results were mixed for those with a moderate level of education.
The findings add to growing research showing that creative, social and mentally stimulating hobbies such as music, reading and art may help keep the brain healthy in later life, with a 2022 meta-analysis from the U.S. and Japan reporting similar benefits for older adults who play musical instruments.
Staying mentally and socially active through hobbies like music may help keep the brain healthy. (iStock)
Dr. Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, an associate professor of aging at the University of Copenhagen, cautioned that while mental stimulation is encouraged, the science on it isn’t settled.
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“In general, it is advised to train your brain, but the data is actually not that clear,” he recently told BBC Science Focus, noting that studies on activities like music, puzzles or learning new skills have shown mixed results.
Still, he noted, “There are additional benefits to playing an instrument … including increased social interactions — which has been shown to be very important as we age.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.
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The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans.
New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.
MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include hospitalization for heart failure.
VACCINES FOR FLU AND COVID: SHOULD YOU GET BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?
Using health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the researchers compared two groups of veterans — one that received the COVID and flu vaccine on the same day (nearly 350,000 people) and another group that received only the flu vaccine (nearly 700,000 people).
For people older than 75, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE was 50.7%. (iStock)
Out of more than one million veterans studied, the average age was about 70 and 92% were male, according to a press release.
Within about eight months, the results showed that those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events, with a relative vaccine effectiveness of 37.7%.
The COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, 38.5% lower risk of heart attack and 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the researchers stated. The result for stroke was not statistically significant.
SCIENTISTS PINPOINT WHY COVID VACCINE MAY TRIGGER HEART INFLAMMATION IN CERTAIN PEOPLE
The benefit was greatest among adults ages 75 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In people over 75, the vaccine was 50.7% effective at preventing COVID-associated MACE.
As the study was observational, it could not prove cause and effect between the COVID-19 vaccine and lower risk of cardiovascular events, but only highlighted an association.
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Dr. Glenn Hirsch, cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, called these results “not overall surprising” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
After eight months, those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events. (iStock)
“This result is consistent with previous studies of the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines against infectious diseases [in] preventing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiovascular cause of death or hospitalizations,” he said.
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular events and can cause further complications, according to the doctor.
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“This can lead to a higher risk of blood clotting, but can also make arterial plaques susceptible to rupture, which then leads to clot formation to heal a ruptured plaque,” he said. “This clotting can cause a near-total or complete occlusion of an artery, leading to these cardiovascular events.”
“Vaccines either prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection and subsequent inflammation, lowering the cardiovascular risk.”
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, the study suggests. (iStock)
Despite the positive outcome, the overall benefit of the vaccine in this study was less than in previous studies, according to Hirsch, who was not involved in the research.
This could be due to the lower severity of illness seen in more recent COVID-19 variants, as well as immunity from prior infections among unvaccinated people, he noted. There has also been a decline in COVID testing, making it more difficult to link cardiovascular events to the virus.
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“The bottom line [is] that there is still evidence of benefit from COVID-19 vaccination like many other infectious disease vaccinations, and people should be encouraged to discuss these with their healthcare team annually,” Hirsch advised.
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“This is an observational trial and there can always be some confounding after necessary statistical adjustments and other potential benefits or harms, including adverse effects from vaccines that were not investigated in this study,” he added.
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A former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is speaking out about a fresh wave of health issues.
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023.
At the time, the reality star shared that she believed she had been infected with a parasite during a trip to Morocco, Fox News Digital previously reported.
BRANDI GLANVILLE SPENDING ‘ALL OF MY MONEY’ LOOKING FOR ANSWERS TO MYSTERY ILLNESS THAT LEFT HER DISFIGURED
After the initial diagnosis, she suspected she contracted a parasite in Morocco and said she could feel it moving within her face.
Brandi Glanville attends the grand opening of Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Clinic West Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 25, 2024. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Glanville was first diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, a sudden swelling of the deeper layers of the skin and mucous membranes, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Angioedema “is a reaction similar to hives that affects deeper layers of the skin. It can appear with hives or alone,” Mayo Clinic states.
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Most recently, in a June 18 episode of her podcast “Brandi Glanville Unfiltered,” Glanville revealed that doctors discovered a “benign tumor” in one of her facial lymph nodes.
The reality star, who has previously speculated that a parasite may be contributing to her facial symptoms, said the finding could help explain the swelling and fluid buildup she has experienced and noted that she has had a lump in her face for “years.”
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023. (Mega/GC Images)
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, guys. I thought I was fixed, and then it happened again and now it’s sinking in again,” Glanville said in another June podcast.
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“It could be why the fluid is going around my face and why I’m having a hard time,” she added.
While benign tumors of the face have been known to arise from fat tissue, blood vessels, skin structures, salivary glands or lymphatic tissue, Glanville has not publicly disclosed the specific type of diagnosis she received.
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Prior to learning of the tumor, Glanville said she saw dozens of doctors and spent over $100,000 trying to pinpoint the source of the issue.
Brandi Glanville shares images of painful facial burns caused by Nair hair removal cream in a viral TikTok video. (Brandi Glanville/TikTok)
The reality star emphasized that the tumor is “not cancerous.”
“I haven’t had a face lift yet!” she added.
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Glanville also said she suspected her ruptured breast implants could have played a role in her health issues, claiming the leaking silicone had clogged her lymph nodes.
Fox News Digital reached out to Glanville for comment.
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