來源:中國日報網
你的工作不但可以影響你的收入、生活質量和幸福指數，還與你的身體息息相關。新研究發現，工作有趣的人患痴呆症的風險比其他人低三分之一。醫生、律師、官員都屬於“有趣的”工作，而收銀員、司機等則被歸類為“無趣的”工作。
[Photo/Pexels]
Having an interesting job in your forties may slash your risk of getting dementia in old age, a study has suggested.
一項研究顯示，四十多歲時從事有趣的工作可以大大降低老年患痴呆症的風險。
Researchers claim mental stimulation may stave off the onslaught of the memory-robbing condition by around 18 months.
研究人員指出，腦力鍛鍊可以將痴呆症發作的時間推遲約18個月。
Academics examined more than 100,000 participants and tracked them for nearly two decades.
研究人員在近二十年時間內追蹤調查了逾10萬人。
They spotted a third fewer cases of dementia among people who had engaging jobs which involved demanding tasks and more control — such as solicitors and doctors, compared to adults in 'passive' roles — such as cashiers.
他們發現，與收銀員等被動型職業相比，律師、醫生等要求高、自主性也更強的從業者患痴呆症的比例少三分之一。
And those who found their own work interesting also had lower levels of proteins in their blood that have been linked with dementia.
另外，從事有趣工作的人血液中與痴呆症相關的蛋白質含量也更低。
Keeping the brain active by challenging yourself regularly likely reduces the risk of dementia by building up its ability to cope with disease, experts say.
專家指出，經常挑戰自己來保持大腦活躍有助於提高大腦應對疾病的能力，從而降低患痴呆症的風險。
Dementia is the second biggest killer in the UK behind heart disease, according to the UK Government agency, the Office for National Statistics.
英國國家統計局的資料顯示，在英國，痴呆症是僅次於心臟病的第二大殺手。
In the US, around 5 million people have the condition. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, causing up to 70 percent of cases.
在美國，約500萬人患有痴呆症，阿爾茨海默病（老年痴呆症）是最高發的痴呆症，佔到了70%。
A plethora of studies have already suggested mental stimulation could prevent or postpone the onset of dementia.
已有大量研究表明，腦力鍛鍊可以預防或推遲痴呆症發作。
But none found that mentally demanding hobbies, which may include reading, doing puzzles or going to museums, cut the risk.
但是沒有一項研究發現，閱讀、猜謎或逛博物館等對腦力要求高的愛好能降低患痴呆症的風險。
The new study looked at jobs, which the academic said involved more engagement than hobbies, which often last less than an hour.
新研究針對的是對腦力要求高的工作，研究人員表示，人們在工作中從事的活動比愛好更多，後者每日佔用時間通常不到一小時。
It was carried out by researchers from University College London, the University of Helsinki and Johns Hopkins University.
這項研究是由倫敦大學學院、赫爾辛基大學和約翰斯·霍普金斯大學的研究人員開展的。
They looked into the cognitive stimulation and dementia risk in 107,896 volunteers, who were regularly quizzed about their job.
他們定期瞭解10萬7896名志願者工作中的認知刺激情況，並分析了他們患痴呆症的風險。
Volunteers jobs included interesting roles such as government officers, directors, physicians, dentists and solicitors.
志願者的工作包括政府官員、導演、內科醫生、牙醫和律師等有趣的職位。
Jobs with low brain stimulation included supermarket cashiers, vehicle drivers and machine operators.
不太需要用腦的志願者工作包括超市收銀員、司機和機器操作員。
[Photo/Pexels]
The volunteers — who had an average age of around 45 — were tracked for between 14 and 40 years.
這些志願者的平均年齡約為45歲，被追蹤調查的時間從14年到40年不等。
Jobs were classed as cognitively stimulating if they included demanding tasks and came with high job control.
如果一份工作包含要求高的任務並具有高度自主性，這份工作就被歸類為認知刺激型。
Non-stimulating 'passive' occupations included those with low demands and little decision-making power.
不能刺激認知的“被動型”職業包含那些要求低、缺乏自主權的工作。
Experts spotted 4.8 cases of dementia per 10,000 person years among those with interesting jobs, equating to 0.8 percent of the group.
專家發現，在那些從事有趣工作的人群中，每年每1萬人中有4.8例痴呆症患者，只佔該群體的0.8%。
Meanwhile, there were 7.3 cases per 10,000 person years among those with boring careers (1.2 percent).
與此同時，從事無趣職業的人群中，每年每1萬人中有7.3例痴呆症患者，佔該群體的1.2%。
Among people with jobs that were in the middle of these two categories, there were 6.8 cases per 10,000 person years (1.12 percent).
工作有趣程度介於這兩者之間的受訪者中，每年每1萬人中有6.8例痴呆症患者，佔該群體的1.12%。
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, also looked at three protein levels in the blood among another group of volunteers.
這項發表在《英國醫學雜誌》上的研究還觀察了另一組志願者血液中三種蛋白質的含量。
These proteins are thought to stop the brain forming new connections, increasing the risk of dementia.
據認為，這些蛋白質可以阻止大腦建立新聯絡，增加患痴呆症的風險。
People with interesting jobs had lower levels of three proteins considered to be tell-tale signs of the condition.
從事有趣工作的人大腦中與痴呆有關的這三種蛋白質的含量更低。
The researchers noted the study was only observational, meaning it cannot establish cause and that other factors could be at play.
不過，研究人員指出，這項研究只是觀察性的，這意味著不能確定工作有趣和痴呆症之間有因果關係，也不能排除其他因素的作用。
英文來源：每日郵報
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
