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
The fight against malaria improves thanks to innovative mosquito bed nets tha...
Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, remains a substantial public health threat, particularly in endemic areas. However, recent trials have produced encouraging results, implying that new ...
Read More“Eternal Mongolia”: Mongolia signs historic climate finance deal to protect g...
Mongolia's government and a coalition of partners have signed a pioneering nature financing deal, marking a watershed moment in environmental protection. This historic agreement ...
Read MoreHow to be a better conversationalist
A meaningful conversation is the best way to build a connection with someone, but simply conjuring up such a conversation is not always easy—especially ...
Read MoreHubble takes beautiful image of galaxies “dancing”
The Hubble Space Telescope ventured into space over three decades ago in 1990, and has observed around 50,000 celestial bodies to date. During this ...
Read More
