How do you feel about getting old? It turns out this is not just a trivial quiz question. New studies find that those who believe negative stereotypes about the elderly are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life. So, it seems that how you feel about aging has an effect on how you actually age. The studies, commissioned by the Yale School of Public Health, looked at data from 158 healthy people who in their 40s had to rate on a scale statements like “older people are absent-minded” or “older people have trouble learning new things.” About 25 years later, people who held more negative thoughts about aging earlier in life had greater loss of hippocampus volume when they aged. Loss of volume in that brain region is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In other words, it’s time to change our opinion about getting old.
How well you age might depend on how you feel about aging
More of Today's Solutions
Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation regains ancestral lands near Yosemite in major c...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Nearly 900 acres of ancestral territory have been officially returned to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, marking a ...
Read More8 fermented foods that your gut will love (and that taste great, too!)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Fermented foods have been a dietary staple in many cultures for centuries, but in the U.S., they’re only ...
Read MoreBreaking the silence: empowering menopausal women in the workplace
Addressing menopause in the workplace is long overdue in today's fast-changing work scene, where many are extending their careers into their 60s. According to ...
Read MoreInsect migration: the hidden superhighway of the Pyrenees
Insects, while frequently disregarded, are critical to the planet's ecosystems. They make up about 90 percent of all animal species and play important functions ...
Read More
