Did you know that being conscientious is one of the factors that reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

Bob DeMarco of the Alzheimer’s Reading Room, listed nine important ways to delay or buffer against the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The one that I found most surprising was the ninth factor:

People who lead a good clean life — those who are conscientious, self-disciplined and scrupulous — appear to be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that people who were highly conscientious had an 89 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who were less conscientious.

This statement intrigued me, so I dug into the research a little bit more. I wanted to understand the reasons the research team gave.

Being Conscientious Reduces Adverse Events

The researchers speculated that individuals who are conscientious may do better in life. They experience less adverse life events. Thus they have lower stress levels and more positive employment outcomes.

I know when I am disorganized my stress levels go up. And, when I am more organized and get jobs completed my stress levels are reduced. So stress reduction is clearly a key product of being conscientious.

I also think life is simpler (and by definition less stressful) if you have a structure. When you discipline yourself to work to a schedule, life is more peaceful. It’s certainly food for thought.

To read more of Bob’s article click here.