For many of us, our memories seem to get just a little bit worse with each passing year. It starts with being unable to remember if you locked the door or unplugged your hairdryer, and then you find yourself forgetting appointments or the name of a new acquaintance. But while we're led to believe this is a universal experience, there are some people whose memories remain sharp even as they age. These "super-agers" seem to remember everything at 80—and science shows that they have a few things in common.
RELATED: These 5 Daily Habits Can Lower Your Dementia Risk, New Research Shows.
Research published in The Journal of Neuroscience yesterday and a companion study published in Lancet Healthy Longevity in Aug. 2023 looked at 119 participants over age 79.5 in Spain. Fifty-five were typical older adults, while 64 were classified as "super-agers," or those with "the memory ability of people 30 years younger."
Participants took three non-memory and one memory test (the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test). They were classified as super-agers if they scored above the average score for 50- to 56-year-olds on the memory test, and around or above the average for their age on the non-memory tests.
As it turned out, the super-agers had similar-looking brains. Overall, they had less brain atrophy (loss of neurons and connections between them) than typical older adults, notably in the "memory-related areas" like the hippocampus, MRI scans showed. Super-agers specifically had better-quality white matter in the front of the brain, which is a region that plays a role in cognition.
Notably, super-agers and typical adults had no differences when it came to genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
"By having two groups that have low levels of Alzheimer's markers, but striking cognitive differences and striking differences in their brain, then we're really speaking to a resistance to age-related decline," lead study author Bryan Strange, CTP, UPM, a professor of clinical neuroscience at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, told The New York Times.
RELATED: Longevity Expert Says Avoid Eating the "Poisonous 5 Ps" If You Want to Live to 100.
Experts aren't sure how many super-agers exist, although Emily Rogalski, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, told the NYT that they are "relatively rare." (Rogalski conducted her own research on super-agers in 2012, finding that these older adults had brains that looked like those of 50- to 60-year-olds.)
How people become super-agers is not clear either, Tessa Harrison, an assistant project scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who worked with Rogalski on the 2012 study, told the NYT. But she suggested that super-agers may simply have "some sort of lucky predisposition" or "resistance mechanism in the brain" that scientists don't understand just yet.
Speaking to this, Strange told the NYT that super-agers and typical adults also had similarities in terms of their diets, sleep habits, professional backgrounds, and alcohol and tobacco use. However, super-agers set themselves apart in that they had better mental health and moved faster than average older adults. (While super-agers reported similar exercise frequency to their "typical" counterparts, researchers hypothesized that they may engage in more "non-exercise physical activity," like climbing the stairs or gardening.)
Even so, there was wavering consistency among the super-agers group, too. While they all had exceptional memories, super-agers in Rogalski's study differed in how often they exercised, how healthy their diets were, and whether they smoked. Solid social relationships, however, were something they had in common.
If you want to up your odds of maintaining a healthy brain, experts recommend keeping your diet in check, exercising, maintaining your social life, and getting enough sleep, the NYT reported.
Best Life offers the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. When it comes to the medication you're taking or any other health questions you have, always consult your healthcare provider directly.
Abby Reinhard Abby Reinhard is a Senior Editor at Best Life, covering daily news and keeping readers up to date on the latest style advice, travel destinations, and Hollywood happenings.Read moreFiled UnderBrain Health • News • Over 80 • ScienceSources referenced in this article- Source: The Journal of Neuroscience: Superagers resist typical age-related white matter structural changes
- Source: Lancet Health Longevity: Brain structure and phenotypic profile of superagers compared with age-matched older adults: a longitudinal analysis from the Vallecas Project
- Source: Cleveland Clinic: Brain Atrophy
- Source: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience: Youthful Memory Capacity in Old Brains: Anatomic and Genetic Clues from the Northwestern SuperAging Project
What a 104-Year-Old Woman Drinks Every Day
Evelyn Eales just celebrated her birthday, crediting her long life to an affordable beverage.April 5, 2024Avoid Eating These If You Want to Live to 100
He's opening up about what he's learned about the best diet for living longer.March 28, 2024Iris Apfel Shared These Longevity Secrets
The socialite was known for her original bold style and witty humor.March 5, 2024Longevity Doctor's Diet and Exercise Secrets
These small tweaks can add years to your life—and science backs it up.February 21, 2024How to Rearrange Your Kitchen to Lose Weight
These tips can help you eat better, get healthier, and live longer.January 27, 2024Here's Why You Need More Fiber in Your Diet
Not getting enough fiber can be harmful to your long-term health.January 26, 2024Easy Tips to Boost Your Grip Strength
Try these exercises to improve your grip. October 28, 2023The Best Longevity Tips From the "Blue Zones"
Consider incorporating some of these folks' healthy habits into your own life.November 8, 2023116-Year-Old Woman Reveals Her Longevity Diet
The oldest living person is sharing the secrets she credits for her long and healthy life.November 25, 2023115-Year-Old Woman Reveals Her Longevity Diet
This one food keeps her "strong," she says.December 15, 2023
