Most people consider it lucky if someone lives a good long life and is “with it” right until the end.
But it may be that people live longer because they have a healthy brain and good cognitive function.
New research, published in the journal The Lancet, was done by a team led by Carol Jagger, PhD, Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University in England.
“Our data shows that we are living longer and a lot of that extra time is in good cognitive health,” she told Medscape Medical News. “We tend to have better minds than we used to 20 years ago at the same age but not necessarily healthier bodies.”
So that even if our bodies aren’t as healthy as we would like, good brain function can overcome that.
The study was done looking at results 20 years apart in three different locations in the UK. Life expectancy has risen by around 4 years. And researchers find that people today are much more likely to live a greater part of their lives with good cognitive function.
This could be the trigger for lengthening their lives because the study also found that when someone’s cognitive health declines severely, they usually only live another 5 months or so.
There are many factors that could come into play here, but it looks like a healthy brain can give you more life.
Of course, the study does not mention how to achieve good brain function. But it does mention that some conditions that contributed to poor brain function were increased obesity and mobility limitations.
Mobility equals independence as you age. Staying active is the key. One of the best ways to do this is just to walk. It’s one area where practice makes perfect. More walking means the ability to keep walking and do what you want as you age. Plus, walking helps you make a protein that keeps your brain young. So it’s a win-win.
