Thinking positively about aging can reduce memory loss and brain deterioration in the elderly

A new study confirms the link between happiness and health, finding that positive thinking about the aging process can slow cognitive decline in older adults.

Researchers from the Yale School of Public Health investigated older adults recovering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a common type of memory loss. They found that those with "positive age beliefs" were more likely to recover and regain normal thinking and memory skills than those who did not.

Study authors Becca Levy and Martin Slade said this study is the first to link a cultural factor - a positive attitude toward aging - to recovery in MCI.

Someone with MCI may forget recent events or repeat the same question, struggle with planning or problem-solving, get distracted easily or take longer than usual to find the right word for something.

The symptoms are not severe enough to significantly interfere with daily life, but people with this condition are more likely to develop dementia.

The researchers noted: "Most people assume there is no cure for MCI, but in fact half of those who suffer from it do. Not much is known about why some recover and others do not. That's why we looked at positive age beliefs, to see if they were It will help provide an answer."

The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, used data from the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey, and researchers tracked participants age 65 and older who were screened for mild cognitive impairment and positive beliefs of age.

More than 17,000 participants were given motivators such as "the older I get, the more useless I feel" and were each asked whether or not they agreed with their attitude towards aging.

As expected, those who maintained positive age beliefs were 30% more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment, and to recover more quickly than those with negative age beliefs, regardless of the severity of the initial cognitive impairment.

In fact, participants who started the study with normal cognition were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment over the next 12 years if they had a good attitude toward ageing.

The study authors suggested that "interventions for belief in age at both the individual and societal levels" could encourage more people to think positively about aging, thus reversing cognitive decline later in life.

Previous studies have suggested that such impairment could be avoided with simple daily exercise, while other research has found that highly processed food and early retirement can contribute.