Why do people keep making this same mistake about longevity?!

> Readers have a 20% reduction in the risk of dying before their time.

> Readers are 2.5 times less likely to contract Alzheimers.

As usual, mixing up cause and effect. Reading requires mental effort--those starting down the path to Alzheimers will find it harder and thus do less of it. It's like the stunt the medicare advantage plan providers used to pull of making their pitches on the second floor of a building without elevators.

Could be that reading makes you less likely to expose to dangers that could kill you by entertaining you in a safer environment, could be that reading makes you have better decisions for your health, could be that your brain has more neural connections that can be used redundantly to mask Alzheimer’s.

And what you mentioned is also combined with the above, and uncountable other relationships, causality going both ways.

Most adults don’t read or hardly ever read for pleasure- they stop way before Alzheimer even starts to manifest itselft

> As usual, mixing up cause and effect.

Yup. Reminds me: "studies prove that horses improve health and increase the lifespan...". Bruh, people who live around horses are probably those who either have to work hard all day, or have good amount of money to take care of their health. Readers are healthier because they more likely to grow up in wealthier environment to begin with.