NEWSREPORTThere’snopositivesidetodevelopingHYPERLINK"http://topics.time.com/skin-cancer/"skincancer,butthelatestresearchtiescertainformsofthediseasetoareducedriskofdementia.ResearchersfromtheHYPERLINK"http://topics.time.com/albert-einstein/"AlbertEinsteinCollegeofMedicineintheBronx,NewYorkfoundthatpeoplewhohaveskinHYPERLINK"http://topics.time.com/cancer/"cancermaybelesslikelytodevelopAlzheimer’sdisease.Inthestudy,publishedinthejournalNeurology,1,100peoplearoundage79withoutdementiawerestudiedforanaverageof3.7years.Atthebeginningofthestudy,109oftheparticipantsalreadyhadskincancer,andduringthestudy,32morepeopledevelopedthedisease,while126eventuallydevelopeddementia.Amongthoseparticipants,100developedAlzheimer’sdementia.(MORE:HYPERLINK"http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/09/some-skin-cancer-survivors-still-use-tanning-beds/"\o"SomeSkinCancerSurvivorsStillUseTanningBeds"\t"_blank"SomeSkinCancerSurvivorsStillUseTanningBeds)Theparticipantswhohadskincancerwereabout80%lesslikelytohaveAlzheimer’sdiseasecomparedtotheparticipantswithoutahistoryofskincancer.Amongthosewithskincancer,onlytwodevelopedAlzheimer’s.Theassociation,however,wasnotseenwithpeoplewhodevelopedmelanoma,nordidthecorrelationholdforothertypesofdementiasuchasthoserelatedtocirculatoryissues.“Theapparentprotectiveeffectisenormous,andweweresurprisedbythemagnitude,”saysstudyauthorDr.RichardLipton,aprofessoratAlbertEinsteinCollegeofMedicine.Thefindingsdon’testablishthatskincancerpatientsarealwaysprotectedfromdevelopingAlzheimer’showever.Andit’snotclearwhichfactorsmightbebehindtheassociation.ButLiptonandhiscolleaguesbelieveenvironmentalfactorscouldbecontributingtotheresult.Studieshavefound,forexample,thatHYPERLINK"http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/16/mind-those-reps-exercise-especially-weight-lifting-helps-keep-your-brain-sharp/"\o"exerciseisprotectiveagainstAlzheimer's"\t"_blank"exerciseislinkedtoalowerriskofAlzheimer’s.It’spossiblethatpeoplewhoaremoreactivemayspendmoretimeoutdoorsandinthesun,whi