Good news: Memory loss declining among U.S. seniors

According to a new study being published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, older Americans are having less trouble with memories. Ken Langa of the University of Michigan, who conducted the study, believes the reason might be because today's seniors spent more time in school than previous generations. According to Langa:

"We found a clear relationship. The more education people had, the better they performed on cognitive tests. Your brain is wired up differently. You can sustain more insults over your lifetime."

This is consistent with the concept of "cognitive reserve" which is the notion that well-educated people, or people who use their brains constantly as younger adults, build up a reserve of brainpower. This makes the brain more able to sustain the damage of dementia or even injuries to the brain such as mini-strokes.

It's not all good news however because the mental gains from additional education may soon be offset by the damage being done to brains from rising rates of obesity and diabetes. Both of these are highly influenced by lifestyle choices and additional information can be found in our sections dedicated to physical health and brain health.