Staying positive can cut the risk of memory loss in middle age, a 16-year study suggests.
Researchers tracked more than 10,000 people aged over 50 and found that those with higher levels of well-being were more likely to have better scores on memory tests.
They also reported a greater sense of control, independence and freedom to make choices than other people.
While the link was small, researchers suggested it was significant.
Study co-author and Britain’s University College London professor of ageing and clinical psychology Dr Joshua Stott said: “This study represents an important step toward understanding the interplay between well-being and memory over time.
“It offers new insights into how self-rated well-being is associated with memory and vice versa.
“While our findings are preliminary, they highlight the importance of considering psychosocial influences on brain health, such as memory.”
The study tracked 10,760 men and women over 50 who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
They were assessed on well-being and memory every two years – a total of nine times during the 16-year study period, starting in 2002.
Researchers checked people’s ability to learn and recall 10 words immediately and after a delay.
Well-being was also assessed using a quality-of-life questionnaire, looking at areas such as pleasure, control and autonomy.
Questions people were asked included the phrases: “I can do the things that I want to do” and “I feel that life is full of opportunities.”
The study found a small, but significant association between higher well-being and better memory, which still existed even after any depression was taken into account.
The researchers also suggested reasons why well-being may have a positive impact on memory, such as people may be more likely to exercise, which improves health.
Age, gender, other lifestyle factors and socioeconomic status may also have a negative or positive impact on well-being and memory, they added.
The authors found no evidence that it was poor memory causing low well-being in some people, but they stressed that this could not be ruled out.
“Loving your heart, staying sharp and keeping connected are key to protecting our brain health as we age,” Alzheimer’s Research UK information services manager Emma Taylor said, cautioning that this research is observational and that more work was needed to understand how a positive well-being and memory are connected.
“Looking after our mental well-being plays an important part in our overall health.
“And it’s never too late to start taking steps to keep our brains healthy throughout our lives and lessen the devastating impact of dementia.”
Study co-author and assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, United States, Dr Emily Willroth, said: “Going forward, it would be fantastic if this research can build on the foundations of ongoing memory research to potentially inform strategies supporting cognitive health in ageing populations – that is the aim.”
The study was published in the journal Aging & Mental Health. – PA Media/dpa
