Study says some cognitive skills in elderly Americans improve with time

BOSTON - We often hear about cognitive decline as we age but a new study says some cognitive skills may actually improve with time.

With the 2024 election looming, there has been a lot of discussion about whether older candidates are mentally fit to serve as president. But according to an article in STAT News, there is some data to suggest that in many ways, we get wiser as we get older.

In fact, a study in 2012 found that elderly Americans were better at recognizing multiple perspectives, acknowledging the limits of their personal knowledge, and understanding the importance of compromise. And while short-term memory tends to wane with age, learned experience helps the elderly avoid certain pitfalls in life, like saying or doing the wrong thing. They also tend to be more emotionally stable, calmer when making decisions and are better able to navigate social conflict.

So don't assume just because someone is 75 or 80 years old that they're losing their marbles. Instead, remember that with old age, comes great wisdom.

In:
• Health
• Senior Citizens

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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