How You think About Aging May Change Your Future Brain Health
Getting older comes with plenty of assumptions. Maybe you've heard that forgetting a name is "just part of aging" or that slowing down is inevitable.
But could the way we think about aging actually be connected to how our brains age, too?
Researchers explored that question in a four-year study1, including whether age-related beliefs were linked to dementia risk in people carrying APOE ε4, a genetic variant associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.
About the study
Researchers looked at 4,765 adults ages 60 and older who were part of the Health and Retirement Study. Everyone was dementia-free when the study began, and the average age was 72.
Participants answered five questions about how they felt about getting older. For example, they were asked whether they felt less useful with age. Higher scores meant more positive views of aging.
The researchers also tested participants for APOE ε4 status, and about 26% carried the variant. They then tracked participants' cognitive health for up to four years.
A positive view of aging was linked to lower dementia risk
Among people with more positive views of aging, 2.60% developed dementia during the study, compared with 4.61% of those with more negative views. That's a 43.6% lower risk.
The difference was even bigger among APOE ε4 carriers. Just 2.7% of carriers with positive age beliefs developed dementia, compared with 6.14% of carriers with negative beliefs, a 49.8% lower risk.
The researchers accounted for other dementia risk factors, including age, education, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and starting cognitive function. The association remained.
One important caveat: This was an observational study, so it can't prove that having a more positive view of aging prevents dementia or offsets genetic risk.
Why might your outlook on aging matter
Stress could be one piece of the puzzle. Previous research suggests that negative beliefs about aging may make the body's stress response stronger, while positive beliefs may help keep it in check. Long-term stress has also been linked to processes that can affect brain health.
And our beliefs about aging aren't necessarily fixed. We pick them up from family, culture, media, and our own experiences, which means they can potentially change over time.
A few ways to rethink aging
You don't need to force yourself to love every part of getting older. Instead, start noticing the assumptions you make about what aging is supposed to look like.
- Question ageist messaging: Comments about being "over the hill" or too old to learn something new can reinforce negative ideas about aging.
- Watch your self-talk: Calling every forgotten name a "senior moment" may seem harmless, but language can shape how we see our own abilities.
- Broaden your examples: Pay attention to older people who are learning, exercising, working, traveling, and trying new things. Aging doesn't look the same for everyone.
These beliefs aren't a replacement for the basics of brain health, either. Movement, good sleep, social connection, and brain-supporting nutrients all remain important.
The takeaway
Your genes can influence dementia risk, but they're not the whole story.
This research suggests that how you think about aging may be connected to brain health, too, although more research is needed to know whether changing those beliefs can actually lower dementia risk.