Some older people can tell their grandchildren about events of 60 or 70 years ago in perfect detail, while many younger people cannot remember what they had for lunch the day before. People past 80 whose memory is as good as a young person's are called 'superagers', and researchers at the University of Chicago in the United States have been studying them for years, Prothom Alo reported.
The new study analysed data on 142 superagers aged 80 or over from different countries and ethnic groups. They were compared with a control group of 89 people of the same age whose memory and thinking were average for their years.
The researchers looked closely at genes linked to Alzheimer's disease and at family history. The superagers' inherited risk of Alzheimer's turned out to be not significantly lower than that of the control group, so there was no evidence that exceptional memory is simply inherited.
What do they have in common? Earlier observations by the same team found that 83 percent of superagers are socially active and outgoing and leave the house every day, and walking has a positive link with memory. They are also satisfied with their personal, family and social relationships; the study says family, friends and social contact may be connected with their good cognitive health.
Not every superager lives by the rules of a healthy life. Some have kept remarkable memories despite habits such as smoking or drinking, and the researchers say genes may play a part in such cases.
The study's message is that how memory holds up with age is not decided by genes alone; biological, behavioural and social factors all play a role. It is one more reason to encourage older parents and grandparents to get out, walk and spend time with people.
Photo: Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Source: Prothom Alo
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