Having someone to talk to can help stave off dementia in middle-aged people, researchers have found.
Brain Scan
A new study has found that knowing there is someone you can count on to listen is linked to a greater ability to deal with setbacks, which is known as cognitive resilience.
This acts as a buffer to the effects of brain ageing and disease and helps to prevent the development of Alzheimer's symptoms.
In an analysis of more than 2,000 participants and found that individuals in their 40s and 50s who didn't have anyone to turn to had a cognitive age four years older than those with close confidants.
Lead author Professor Joel Salinas, from New York University, said: "This study adds to evidence people can take steps to increase the odds they will slow down cognitive ageing or prevent the development of Alzheimer's, something all the more important given we still don't have a cure."