If a man wants to live a long life he should marry an intelligent woman, according to scientists.

 

科学家称，男人要想长寿，就得娶个聪明的老婆。

 

Dementia experts said that having an intelligent partner can act as ‘buffer¹’ to the disease.

 

By studying the health of identical twins, they concluded that a person’s environment can seriously affect their chance of developing dementia.

 

People who had physical signs of the disease showing up on their brain scans² but developed no symptoms were generally ‘highly intelligent’ and ‘in high-powered jobs’ with ‘a lot of money in the bank,’ the scientists claimed.

 

During a talk called Dementia: How Can We Protect Ourselves?, Professor Lawrence Whalley, emeritus³ professor of mental health in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, said: ‘The thing a boy is never told he needs to do if he wants to live a longer life – but what he should do – is marry an intelligent woman. There is no better buffer than intelligence.’

 

A series of studies have found that intellectual stimulation⁴ that keeps the brain active can help to stave off the symptoms of dementia.

 

Previous research has focused on the benefits of activities like doing crosswords⁵, reading and visiting museums, but Professor Whalley’s comments suggest that having a partner who provides interesting and challenging conversation could also help prevent Alzheimer’s.

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