"Research led by Prof Becca Levy of the Yale School of Public Health interrogated over-65s on their attitudes to ageing, following them for up to 12 years, and found that those with positive beliefs about ageing were more likely to be in the 45% whose physical or cognitive function improved over the study period."
"If this finding was extrapolated to the entire US population, it would suggest that more than 26 million older persons are experiencing an improvement in functioning."
"A previous study Levy conducted found that having negative ageing stereotypes predicted biomarkers for Alzheimer's."
"Does this mean people like me who are always expecting the worst may in fact be bringing the worst on ourselves, our gloomy beliefs becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy?"
Research by Prof Becca Levy indicates that older adults with positive beliefs about aging are more likely to experience improvements in physical and cognitive function. The study followed participants over 12 years, revealing that nearly half of those studied showed enhanced functioning. If applied to the entire US population, this could mean over 26 million older individuals are benefiting. Previous studies suggest that negative aging stereotypes may lead to worse health outcomes, raising concerns about self-fulfilling prophecies related to aging perceptions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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