Older adults identified as "super movers" are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.COMMON VITAMIN MAY INFLUENCE BRAIN AGING IN WAYS SCIENTISTS DIDN'T EXPECTThe super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.Older adults identified as "super movers" are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.(iStock)"The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected," lead study author Dr.
Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital."This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience."'LONGEVITY GENE' MAY PROTECT THE BRAIN FROM ALZHEIMER'S BY BOOSTING DNA REPAIR, STUDY FINDSThe most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ"This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes," he said.
"Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging."As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that w...