Yahoo! News - Reuters -- An Active Mind May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay

Some research has suggested that participating in ordinary tasks may stave off the memory-robbing illness Alzheimer's disease. Now a new study of Chicago residents shows that people who participate in intellectually stimulating activities such as reading, listening to the radio and playing games like checkers and cards are less likely than their peers to develop Alzheimer's.

They found that those who participated in mentally challenging activities had a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those who rarely engaged in such activities. Participation in other types of activities--such as physical exercise--did not seem to affect Alzheimer's risk.