A new study from the University of Helsinki shows that education continues to benefit brain health even into our 90s.
Researchers found that people over the age of 90 who had more years of schooling did better on memory tests than those with less education.
Surprisingly, common heart-related health risks measured in middle age—like high blood pressure or being overweight—were not linked to memory performance at this advanced age.
These findings were published in the journal PLOS One and add to our understanding of how some people stay mentally sharp even in very old age.
The research team believes that education may help the brain build resilience and better cope with the effects of aging.
The study was led by Dr. Eero Vuoksimaa and used data from a long-running twin study in Finland that started back in 1975. Over the years, researchers have followed the health of the participants, making this one of the few studies that can look at how early and midlife factors affect brain health decades later.
When the team assessed the memory and thinking abilities of people aged 90 and older, they found a clear connection between how long people had gone to school and how well they performed on cognitive tests.
Those who had 12 or more years of schooling had the best scores. Even people with 7 to 11 years of education did better than those with less than seven years.
Anni Varjonen, the lead author of the study, explained that higher education might help the brain handle the changes that come with aging. It could help people keep thinking clearly for longer, even in their 90s.
Interestingly, the researchers did not find a link between midlife cardiovascular risk factors and memory in this group. This was unexpected because earlier studies have shown that conditions like high cholesterol and a lack of exercise increase the risk of dementia.
The researchers think this may be because people who live to be 90 are different in some ways—they may have healthier lifestyles overall or be more resistant to certain health risks.
Still, the team believes more research is needed. Studies that follow large groups of people over many years will help confirm whether the same results hold true for others.
The study included 96 people who were part of the NONAGINTA project, which focuses on memory and health in nonagenarians. Their thinking and memory were tested through phone interviews.
According to Dr. Vuoksimaa, the study also provided useful insights into how to carry out memory tests by phone with people in their 90s.
It’s not often that researchers get a chance to follow people’s health for nearly 50 years, so this study offers a unique and valuable look at how education and early life choices affect the brain in late old age.
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The study is published in PLOS ONE.
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