"The physical and cognitive health of people aged 75 to 80 is significantly better than those of that age range thirty years ago" https://t.co/NpVUoSnwyR

— Elizabeth Nolan Brown (@ENBrown) September 22, 2020

Good news! Old people – you aren’t as old as your age suggests. A new study conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland has determined that the physical and mental health of adults aged 75-80 is better than it was in the 1990s. Over the last three decades our older population has improved in muscle strength, reaction time, memory, walking speed, and verbal fluency.

A more active lifestyle, better hygiene, and better nutrition has all attributed to the improvements amongst this population. It does contribute to a unique problem however. We have had an increase in non-disabled years, but also a need for more care during the last years of life since they tend to come at higher ages. As Professor Taina Rantanen puts it “…among the ageing population, two simultaneous changes are happening: continuation of healthy years to higher ages and an increased number of very old people who need external care.”

Youth, it seems, is no longer wasted on the young.

Source: University of Jyvaskyla