Helping hands, sharper minds: volunteering slows memory decline, even at high Alzheimer's risk

Nearly 18,000 older adults, followed for 22 years, tell a generous story: people who regularly volunteered or helped neighbours and friends saw their memory and thinking decline more slowly — and the benefit was strongest for those carrying a gene that raises Alzheimer's risk. The University of Texas at Austin team found even a few hours a week helped, with the highest-risk helpers reaching serious impairment almost two years later than those who did not help.