All articles tagged with #superagers
A 25-year Northwestern study of people 80 and older known as SuperAgers found memory performance comparable to much younger adults despite wide differences in diet and exercise; the common thread across this diverse group was strong social engagement. The link is associative, not proven causal, and brain pathology varied among participants, underscoring that social ties may mark rather than explain preserved memory.
A multi-site study of 142 SuperAgers and 89 cognitively average peers finds that exceptional memory in people in their 80s and 90s cannot be explained by inherited Alzheimer's risk alone; APOE status, Alzheimer's polygenic risk scores, and rare protective variants did not distinguish SuperAgers, underscoring the need to explore protective biological, behavioral, and social pathways for healthy cognitive aging.
Northwestern researchers highlight 'SuperAgers'—people over 80 who score memory tests like those decades younger—whose brains either resist Alzheimer’s pathology (plaques/t tangles) or tolerate it without cognitive decline. Key traits include high social engagement, preserved cortical thickness (even thicker anterior cingulate in some), and distinctive cells like von Economo neurons and larger entorhinal neurons. Brain donations enable long-term study, and findings could guide new strategies to delay or prevent dementia.
Researchers studying SuperAgers identify five habits linked to longer life and better brain health: move your body regularly (even walking), stay socially engaged, reduce controllable stress, challenge your brain, and make time for activities you enjoy; while there’s no guaranteed roadmap to becoming a SuperAger, these practices align with evidence on healthy aging.
A Nature study finds SuperAgers (people 80 and older with unusually preserved cognition) generate more new neurons in the hippocampus than other older adults, suggesting that increased neurogenesis may help maintain brain health. The findings point to a unique resilience signature in SuperAgers but are based on post‑mortem, cross‑sectional data, so they show associations rather than proving that boosting neurogenesis prevents dementia. The researchers and clinicians emphasize that lifestyle factors—regular aerobic exercise, a Mediterranean-style diet, lifelong learning, social engagement, and adequate sleep—may support brain renewal and cognitive health.
A study of 38 postmortem brains links exceptional memory in superagers to higher hippocampal neurogenesis, finding roughly twice as many immature neurons as in typical older adults; Alzheimer's groups show reduced immature neurons, while genetic data point to stronger synaptic plasticity and BDNF activity in superagers, suggesting neurogenesis as a driver of cognitive resilience and a potential therapeutic target.
Some 80-year-olds retain razor-sharp memory—the so-called 'SuperAgers'—and scientists say they now know why; the piece profiles Ralph Rehbock and places the finding in a broader health roundup that covers vision preservation, rising heart-disease risk in older adults, flu season outlook, and early Alzheimer's prediction tests.
A study of self-described “SuperAgers”—people over 80 with exceptional memory—shows they have more newly formed neurons and a hippocampal environment that supports neurogenesis, along with thicker attention-related brain regions and fewer tau tangles than typical aging. Using multiomic single-cell sequencing across donor brains, researchers found astrocytes and CA1 neurons drive memory retention, suggesting that a combination of genetics and brain-healthy lifestyle supports sustained cognition into advanced age.
In a study of 18,080 participants (1,623 superagers aged 80+, 8,829 with Alzheimer's, 7,628 controls), researchers found that superagers are less likely to carry the APOE-e4 Alzheimer's-risk variant and more likely to carry APOE-e2, suggesting genetics contribute to exceptional aging and reduced dementia risk. The pattern held in non-Hispanic White groups, highlighting a potential genetic basis for dementia resilience, though lifestyle and other factors remain important, and more diverse research is needed.
Scientists are studying the blood of long-lived individuals like centenarians and supercentenarians to identify biomarkers and factors that contribute to exceptional longevity, with the aim of developing interventions to promote healthier aging for everyone.
Research from Northwestern University identifies traits and brain features of 'SuperAgers'—80-year-olds with memory skills comparable to much younger individuals—highlighting factors like brain structure, social engagement, and resistance or resilience to Alzheimer's-related proteins, which could inform future interventions to preserve cognitive health in aging.
A 25-year study reveals that superagers, individuals over 80 with memory skills of much younger people, have unique brain features such as resistance to Alzheimer's-related proteins, higher neuron concentrations, and less inflammation, which may explain their preserved cognitive abilities and could lead to new brain health interventions.
Researchers have identified that 'SuperAgers,' individuals over 80 with memory performance akin to much younger people, possess unique brain features such as resistance or resilience to Alzheimer's pathology, including thicker cortex and more von Economo neurons, which may inform future strategies to preserve cognitive function in aging.
Research on SuperAgers—people over 80 with youthful cognitive abilities—reveals that social engagement and maintaining brain activity are key factors in preserving mental sharpness and protecting against dementia, with SuperAgers showing less brain atrophy and more social-related neurons, highlighting the importance of socializing for healthy aging.
SuperAgers are individuals over 80 with memory performance comparable to much younger people, and their brains show unique biological traits that resist or resist the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Research suggests that social engagement, brain structure, and cellular differences contribute to their exceptional cognitive resilience, offering insights into potential ways to prevent or delay dementia.