Yale study finds nearly half of older adults improve with age
A new Yale study challenges the idea that aging only means decline. Drawing on a large national dataset, researchers found nearly half of adults over 65 improved physically, mentally, or both over time. Those with more positive views of aging were the most likely to gain.
A new Yale study pushes back on the assumption that growing older means steady decline. Analyzing one of the most rigorous U.S. aging datasets, researchers found that nearly half of adults over 65 improved physically, mentally, or both over time. About 32 percent got sharper cognitively and around 28 percent improved physically, with many gains large enough to be clinically meaningful. The improvements were not limited to people who started with impairments. People holding more positive attitudes about aging were far more likely to improve, which the researchers say points to a mindset that can be changed. Sources: Yale School of Public Health, ScienceDaily.