Twenty seven is the new eighty

 

Think this WWII veteran is old? Well, you’re right. But you might be surprised to learn — so are you!  Photo: Getty Images

 

“Some aspects of age-related cognitive decline begin in healthy, educated adults.”         

Professor Timothy Salthouse

 

How old do you have to be before you start feeling, well, “old?”

New research out of the University of Virginia suggests we may start to show signs of age-related mental decline at the shockingly early age of just 27.

UV scientists followed 2,000 men and women of various ages for seven years, giving regular mental checkups and testing them with visual puzzles, word games and pattern recognition. The researchers concluded that mental abilities, which peak at 22 years old, begin to decline by 27.

The research — reported in the Neurobiology of Aging journal — found that 22 was the average age for top performance, and that 27 was the first age at which testers’ performance was significantly lower than the peak. Memory was found to begin a noticeable decline around the age of 37, with a more marked decline at 42 years. Abilities based on general knowledge, however, were found to increase until 60 years old.

The evidence suggests a need to begin age-related therapies at a younger age, said professor Timothy Salthouse. The researchers’ tests are also used to diagnose dementia and general mental decline.