Mindfulness and meditation could stave off dementia, research suggests. Analysis of research involving 30,000 people found that those who suffered moderate to severe anxiety in mid-life were more likely to develop dementia years later.

Researchers said responses to stress may speed up brain cell ageing and degenerative changes in the central nervous system, increasing vulnerability to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

And they said therapies such as mindfulness and meditation, which have been found to reduce anxiety, might reduce the risk of later dementia.

Researchers from University College London examined studies looking at the association between mid-life anxiety, depression, and the development of dementia.

The findings, published in BMJ Open, found an association between moderate to severe anxiety and future dementia, with a gap of at least 10 years in between diagnoses.

Dementia

The findings back up recent evidence pointing to a link between anxiety and risk of mild cognitive impairment, and lend weight to the known association between depression and dementia, they say.

Researchers said more research was needed to establish whether reduced anxiety in middle age could reduce the risk of dementia.

But they said approaches other than anti-anxiety drugs were worth exploring/

“Non-pharmacological therapies, including talking therapies and mindfulness-based interventions and meditation practices, that are known to reduce anxiety in midlife, could have a risk reducing effect, although this is yet to be thoroughly researched,” they said.

Study author Dr Natalie Marchant, from UCL’s division of psychiatry, said: "Clinically significant anxiety in midlife was associated with an increased risk of dementia over an interval of at least 10 years.

"These findings indicate that anxiety may be a risk factor for late-life dementia”.

GPs should monitor patients suffering from anxiety in case of heightened risks, she suggested.

Mindfulness: a cheat’s guide

"Given the high prevalence of anxiety seen in primary care, we suggest that general practitioners could consider anxiety alongside depression as an indicator of risk for dementia.

"To improve the rate of earlier diagnosis of dementia, close monitoring of subtle cognitive decline in older adults with a history of anxiety, depression and cerebrovascular disease would be encouraged,” she said.

Last year a trial suggested mindfulness - a meditative practice of paying more attention to the present moment, is more than twice as better at reducing stress than gardening

The practice - which can involve deep breathing, has been growing in popularity in recent years, with the NHS recommending it as a way to reduce stress and anxiety.

The eight week trial by the BBC and the University of Westminster showed it was better than gardening and yoga at helping people to relax.

US scientists recently found that an eight week course of mindfulness, involving daily classes, can help lower inflammatory molecules and stress hormones by around 15 per cent.