HEALTHY LIVING Stay Sharp as You Age
Want to have an exceptional memory in your 80s? Genes and brain chemistry play a part, but so does lifestyle. ::
BY VERA TWEED W
e expect memory to fade as we get older, but SuperAgers — a term coined by
researchers — are defying the odds. They’re individuals who are
over 80 years old with exceptional memory, comparable to or better than people in their 50s and 60s. They’re often described as
being surprisingly “sharp as a tack” despite their advancing years, says Emily Rogalski, Ph.D., director of the international SuperAging Research Initiative and a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago. The initiative has tracked more
than 400 SuperAgers over the last two decades and plans to enroll a total of 500 participants across diff erent sites in North America. These SuperAgers are challenging common notions of what a very long life can look like. What sets SuperAgers apart?
Genes and brain chemistry play a part, but lifestyle does, too.
GENES, BRAIN STRUCTURE Brain scans and analyses of brain tissue have found some specifi c diff erences in genes and brain structure between SuperAgers and others in the same age group who are cognitively healthy but don’t have extraordinary memory. These include: Lower-risk genes: SuperAgers are
19% less likely to have the e4 variant of the APOE gene associated with the highest risk for Alzheimer’s disease, and 28% more likely to carry the e2 variant of the APOE gene associated with the lowest risk. Less brain shrinkage: With age,
86 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | OCTOBER 2026
brain volume shrinks at the rate of about 2.24% per year in cognitively healthy people. In SuperAgers, it shrinks at less than half that rate, at 1.06% per year. Greater regeneration of brain
cells: SuperAgers produce at least twice as many new neurons in the hippocampus area of the brain as cognitively healthy people the same age. However, genes and brain
structure aren’t the only factors that determine the fate of our memory. “There are tremendous opportunities in exploring the things that we can change within our life,” Rogalski tells Newsmax, “rather than saying, ‘Ugh, I picked the wrong parents.’”
BEING SOCIAL SuperAgers avoid isolation and loneliness by being social, even if they outlive their peers by many years. “That’s a good adage for folks who want to think about what they can do today,” she says. The oldest SuperAger lived to 111.
But she continued to develop new social connections, not only with younger adults of advanced age but also with younger generations. “Another feature that we see in
our SuperAgers is this adaptability,” says Rogalski. “Some of those intergenerational connections, I think, are important.” Conversations with others of any
age are benefi cial because they are emotionally helpful and challenging as a mental exercise. “You talk about diff erent topics,” she says, “and you have to think in diff erent ways.”
MAIN/
ISTOCK.COM/HALFPOINT / SIDEBAR/
ISTOCK.COM/ARCHITECTNINE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108
