"People who viewed getting older positively were more likely to show improvements in their cognitive skills and their walking speed. By contrast, folks in the study who held more negative ideas about aging tended to see a decline in these skills. That suggests people's beliefs can have a dramatic effect on their biology."
"Our findings suggest there is often a reserve capacity for improvement in later life. And because age beliefs are modifiable, this opens the door to interventions at both the individual and societal level."
"Levy's previous research has shown that a person's views about aging may predict their risk of developing memory and sleep problems, cardiovascular conditions and even biomarkers linked to Alzheimer's disease."
A study of over 11,000 adults aged 65 and older found that 45 percent experienced positive developments in cognitive test scores or walking speed over 12 years. The key factor determining improvement or decline was participants' beliefs about aging. Those holding positive views about getting older demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive abilities and physical fitness, while those with negative aging beliefs experienced decline. Researchers suggest this demonstrates that beliefs can substantially influence biology. Age beliefs are modifiable, indicating potential for interventions at individual and societal levels to improve health outcomes in older populations.
#aging-and-cognition #positive-psychology-and-health #age-beliefs #physical-fitness-in-older-adults #gerontology
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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