Dr. Kenneth M. Langa, an associate professor of medicine at University of Michigan said that seniors in 2002 might got protection from memory loss because they had more education and pays much attention to cardiovascular risk factors that damages brain and heart.
Dr. Langa and his associates compared gathered data in 1993 with that of 2002. This was the result of mental function test of more 7,000 people at age 70 in 1993 with almost same number in 2002.
They found the rate of serious memory problems fell 3.5 percent between 1993 and 2002. The researchers contributed the decrease is due to better education people received. Seniors performed better in cognitive tests because they had more education. The elders of 2002 had an average of 12 years of formal schooling, more than a year than those took the test in 1993.
Today's seniors have more formal education, have higher economic status, and better care for risk factors that damages the brain such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
The study suggested that people who are doing mentally challenging jobs builds brain power that protects the brain from injuries such as stroke and Alzheimer's later on.
