CHICAGO, Aug 14, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Elderly people who spend less time
socializing experience more rapid decline in motor function, U.S. researchers
say.
"It's not just running around the track that is good for you," Dr. Aron Buchman
of Rush University Medical Center said in a statement. "Our findings suggest
that engaging in social activities may also be protective against loss of motor
abilities."
The researchers recruited 906 older individuals from retirement facilities,
subsidized housing complexes, church groups and social service agencies in
northeastern Illinois, who had no signs of dementia or history of Parkinson's
disease or stroke.
At the outset of the study, the participants filled out a survey indicating
their level of participation in a variety of activities.
The researchers then annually assessed the participants' basic motor function,
including muscle strength in the arms and legs, and motor performance, including
walking and balance. Participants were tracked for about five years.
The study, published in the the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that motor
decline was more rapid in those who less frequently participated in social
activities, with each one-point decrease in a participant's social activity
associated with an approximate 33 percent more rapid rate of decline.
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