There’s no doubt that our population is aging. And as a larger percentage of us get older, it’s important to understand how we can prolong our cognitive abilities and protect our brains from the ravages of dementia. After all, age is the major risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and projections are that the number of cases of Alzheimer’s may triple by the year 2050. So it just may be that by studying SuperAgers (adults in their 80s or older who have the memory and cognitive skills of adults decades younger) we may be able to unlock some secrets for maintaining and strengthening brain capacity well into our later years.

While it’s clear that being a “genetic lottery winner” factors into some aspects of being a SuperAger, it also appears that lifestyle, attitudes, and behaviors may also influence their phenomenal memories and cognitive skills that remain robust until their dying days.  A range of recent research studies has discovered factors that may help explain why SuperAgers remain so cognitively strong. First, a recent study out of UC Irvine, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, examined autopsy data from 102 cognitively resilient individuals who passed away well into their late 90s, an age when you would expect to see significant cognitive decline. These researchers were able to see that the brains of these cognitively intact seniors displayed Alzheime’rs Disease-related changes and other vascular changes that would normally have caused cognitive decline- yet these patients did not suffer that. Somehow, these SuperAgers were able to withstand these and other brain health problems. The question then becomes what else in their lives allowed them to be cognitively resilient despite the pathology of their brains? For more on this study, click here.

Another study of SuperAgers appears to shed some light on the sources of this brain resilience. Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, this research out of Spain is considered the largest observational study of SuperAgers to date. Comparing 64 SuperAgers with 55 cognitively “normal” older adults, the researchers were able to identify several factors, beyond just superior cognitive abilities, that distinguished these 2 groups. For example, the SuperAgers, while comparable in activity levels with the normal group, appeared to have faster speed movement and perhaps engage in more demanding physical activities, such as stair climbing or gardening. As well, regarding their mental health, they reported lower levels of anxiety and depression, known risk factors for developing dementia. Finally, they reported being happy with the amount of sleep they attained each night, another important indicator as we know poor sleep is a known risk factor for cognitive decline. Finally, the SuperAger group was found to have less brain atrophy in areas of the brain critical for memory and cognitive functioning. While none of these factors caused them to be SuperAgers, they do suggest that lifestyle factors may play an important role in your cognitive resilience as you get older.  As was noted in the Lancet editorial accompanying the research, “The greater performance of superagers relative to typical older adults might not only be a result of better memory function but could also reflect differences in motivation, executive function, and persistence in the face of difficulty, which suggests that superagers have a higher level of tenacity than typical older adults.” In fact, many SuperAgers are thought to have endured hardships earlier in their lives (poverty, losing a loved one at an early age, Holocaust survivors) so this resilience they demonstrate may have arisen out of hard-won life battles. They are also considered to be very socially active, engaged individuals, even in their later years. As one researcher stated, “You’re unlikely to find a lonely SuperAger.”

So what are the lessons we’ve already learned that can help us all to aspire to be a SuperAger? An intentional determination to age in a healthy, active, engaged manner can make a big difference. As one expert makes clear, “Stop being a dementia worrier, start being a prevention warrior.” Regardless of your age, you can try to move more, engage your brain, maintain or create social connections, foster your sense of resilience, optimize your mental health (or get help if you need it), and dedicate yourself to better sleep patterns. And while you may not have won the genetic lottery when it comes to cognitive resilience in your late 90s, you can still create your own version of “super-aging,” even if you can’t technically wear the cape.