Brainier in your 40s? Don’t count on it

Published Jan 6, 2012

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London - We start losing our memory from as early as 45, research suggests.

The brain’s capacity for the skill, as well as reasoning and comprehension, starts waning in middle age rather than in our 60s, a study shows.

Experts say this means younger people should boost their brain power with healthier living, while some may benefit from medicines to stave off further decline.

Researchers from University College London and the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in France studied more than 7,000 people aged 45 to 70.

They measured cognitive function three times over ten years to assess memory, vocabulary, hearing and visual comprehension skills. All scores, except vocabulary, declined among all age groups during the study, and there was evidence of faster decline among older people.

Researcher Dr Archana Singh-Manoux said: “Cognitive decline is already evident between 45 to 49 years.”

The study says diseases such as dementia are believed to take at least 20 years to develop but promoting healthy lifestyles and good heart health could help.

Medicines are more likely to work at an earlier age, so could be used in people whose cognitive decline is faster than the average, it adds.

The Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK called for more research to see how many people go on to develop Alzheimer’s. - Daily Mail

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