Medical Myths about Ageing 5

 Medical News Today is an interesting newsletter that comes out with all sorts of fascinating material In the latest installment of our Medical Myths series, they tackle myths associated with ageing. Because ageing is inevitable and, for some people, frightening, it is no surprise that myths abound.

The article was written by Tim Newman on September 7, 2020, and fact checked by Anna Guildford, Ph.D.

In our Medical Myths series, we approach medical misinformation head-on. Using expert insight and peer-reviewed research to wrestle fact from fiction, MNT brings clarity to the myth-riddled world of health journalism.

5. As you age, your brain slows

The term cognitive decline refers to a gradual decrease in mental functioning with age, but before we tackle the facts of the matter, we dismiss a couple of associated myths:

Dementia is inevitable as you age

According to the WHO, the risk of developing dementia increases with age, but it does not affect all older adults. Worldwide, an estimated 5–8% of people over 60 have dementia. That means that 92%–95% of people aged 60 or older do not have dementia.

In the United States, an estimated 13.9%Trusted Source of people over 71 have dementia, meaning that 86.1% of people over 71 do not have dementia.

Cognitive decline leads to dementia

Contrary to popular opinion, cognitive decline does not necessarily signal the start of dementia.

People who go on to develop dementia tend to experience cognitive decline first. However, not everyone who experiences cognitive decline will develop dementia.

One older study estimated that 22.2% of people in the U.S. aged 71 or older experience cognitive decline. Of these, each year, 11.7%–20% develop dementia.

Cognitive decline is inevitable.

As the above statistics show, cognitive decline is not inevitable, regardless of the long-held myth that older adults experience a mental slowing down. And, importantly, there are ways to reduce the risk.

In 2015, the Alzheimer’s Association evaluated the evidence of modifiable risk factors for both dementia and cognitive decline. Their report, presented to the World Dementia Council, explains that “there is sufficient evidence to support the link between several modifiable risk factors and a reduced risk for cognitive decline.”

They identified that maintaining regular physical activity and managing classic cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure were strongly associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline.

They also found good evidence that a healthful diet and lifelong learning or cognitive training also reduce the risk of cognitive decline.