As we age beyond our 50s, our brains tend to shrink in volume and our memory begins to decline. These widespread brain changes are considered normal, but mounting evidence suggests that avoiding memory loss is entirely possible. Scientists in the U.S are studying a unique group of adults in their 60s and 70s, and what they’re finding is that they have minds as sharp as people in their 20s. With no age-related damage to their brains, the question now is: “Can you make a person a ‘super ager’ or are you born with it?” Experts already know that certain factors such as smoking and high cholesterol can make the brain age faster, and now they will be studying these ‘super agers’ further to find more clues that could lead to new ways of preventing dementia.
This article was originally published on September 15, 2016
