Research Claims Elderly People Of Today Are Cognitively Fitter, Happier Than In The Past

BERLIN (CBS) – Forty really is the new 20.

According to a new study out of Berlin, today's 75-year-olds are "cognitively much fitter" than 75-year-olds were 20 years ago.

What's more, today's 75-year-olds also report being more satisfied with their life.

The research, which involved scientists from numerous organizations, looked at 708 Berliners 60 and older. Those subjects were tested for their cognitive functioning and then rated their personal well-being.

That information was then compared with data from the early 1990s.

Researchers attribute the increase in well-being and cognitive fitness to "sociocultural factors" like education and increased independence in old age.