Ageing in later life is frequently portrayed as a gradual and unavoidable decline in both physical strength and mental sharpness. However, new research from scientists at Yale University presents a different perspective. The study suggests that many older adults actually improve over time, and that their attitudes toward ageing can significantly influence how well they age.
Becca R. Levy, a professor of social and behavioural sciences at the Yale School of Public Health, led the research. By analysing more than a decade of data from a large national survey of older Americans, Levy found that nearly half of adults aged 65 and older demonstrated measurable improvements in cognitive abilities, physical function, or both. These changes occurred across a broad population rather than within a small group of exceptional individuals.
The study followed more than 11,000 participants from the long-running Health and Retirement Study. Researchers evaluated cognitive performance using a comprehensive assessment. They measured physical function through walking speed, a metric often described by geriatric specialists as a key indicator of overall health because of its strong relationship with disability, hospitalisation, and mortality. Over as many as twelve years of follow-up, 45 per cent of participants improved in at least one of these areas.
More specifically, about 32 per cent of participants showed improvements in cognitive performance, while 28 per cent improved in physical functioning. Many experienced gains large enough to be considered clinically meaningful. When individuals whose cognitive scores remained stable over the same period were included, more than half of the participants contradicted the widely held belief that cognitive ability must steadily deteriorate in later life.
The researchers also explored why some individuals improved while others did not. One important factor appeared to be people’s existing beliefs about ageing. Participants who held more positive views about getting older were significantly more likely to experience improvements in both cognition and walking speed, even after accounting for influences such as age, education, chronic health conditions, depression, and the length of the study period.
These findings align with Levy’s Stereotype Embodiment Theory, which proposes that cultural stereotypes about ageing can gradually become internalised and influence health outcomes. The study suggests that because beliefs about ageing can change, there may be opportunities for interventions at both personal and societal levels. Encouraging more positive views of ageing could help support programmes focused on prevention, rehabilitation, and other initiatives that allow older adults to maintain and even improve their abilities over time.
More information: Becca R. Levy et al, Aging Redefined: Cognitive and Physical Improvement with Positive Age Beliefs, Geriatrics. DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics11020028
Journal information: Geriatrics Provided by Yale University
