Super-Agers: A Perspective
The news media is filled with stories of Super-agers. Super-agers are defined as those over 80 with the cognitive functioning of those 20 or 30 years younger. The sensational (and advertising dependent) news media is happy to publicize super-age studies. They use these studies to advertise exercise equipment, supplements, books, vitamins, diets, and more. Most of these will probably not contribute to your cognitive abilities. Sadly, some longevity studies are heavily funded by billionaires pursuing immortality for themselves….Zuckerberg, Bezos, Peter Thiel. If you fear autocracy now, wait until the autocrats live forever! But that’s another post.
What exactly are super-agers, and how do they get that way? Super-agers, individuals aged 80 and above with exceptional cognitive abilities are characterized by unique brain attributes and strong social connections:
- The unique brain attributes of super-agers in comparison to “normal” 80-year old brains is too vast a topic for this blog. At the grave risk of over-simplifying, Super-agers have a larger frontal lobe. There is minimal or no thinning of the cortex. This is crucial for decision-making and emotional regulation. Individuals with thinning of the cortex may be more prone to depression, implying that super-agers may also be more optimistic. If you have inclination for a deep dive into the brain differences of Super-agers, I recommend the longitudinal 2023 Lancet article linked here.
- Super Agers are socially connected, which may include a sense of connection to nature and humanity. Our senior community with only 400 residents offers about 100 committees. While this number is also a detriment to meditative solitude, it absolutely guarantees that residents will work together, communicate meaningfully with one another and have reason (at least meetings) to anticipate each day. During COVID, our connections to nature mattered immensely; it’s not surprising that some studies perceive that a strong link to nature may also be found in super-agers.
Not surprisingly, our senior community has many super-agers. LifePlan communities like ours could be accused of selective bias: seniors with memory issues are not offered our continuing care contract. Rather residents with memory issues are offered market rate care in our personal or skilled care facility. Residents here range in age from 65 to 104, with the average age above 80. Those in their late 90s and our centenarians often require assistance in their daily lives and reside in our skilled nursing unit, although many are “sharp as a tack” cognitively. Super-aging does not bring youthful appearance or young bodies. Our super-agers generally look their age.
Super-aging is not a prize achieved by studious dedication to vitamins, books, diets or supplements. It is not a Fountain of Youth, nor a substitute for assisted living. It is simply higher than normal cognitive function in those over 80. Super-aging will be found in the elderly who remain engaged in life and who successfully care for the body housing the brain’s cortex.
Being elderly is not for the young; age comes with physical changes which impair mobility, appearance and body functioning. It also comes with the death of spouses and friends and sometimes children and grandchildren. To me, the miracle of super-agers is in their resilience and acceptance of physical and social losses. The miracle is that the elderly super-ager can and will remain engaged in life. My recipe for super-aging: lean into curiosity and connection; practice acceptance and adaptation. These will bring you joy and maybe also enhanced cognitive functioning.
PS Super-ager sketch prepared by ChatGPT
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Excellent, as usual. Thanks, Betty!
PS: My copy didn’t have the drawing mentioned in your PS. Am I not viewing this the right way?
Several readers read the blog in their subscriber email, and thus didn’t get the picture. The email offers the option of reading the blog, or you can enter the blog url https://kickin80.com/. These will show you the picture, and all of the old blog posts you might have missed.
This is a hot topic right now, and I wonder if it’s because the non-elderly are hoping to escape aging (and death maybe?). Although one of the indicators of super aging includes socializing, I also wonder if extroverts live longer because they are more sociable to begin with and perhaps suffer less depression than introverts.
This is a fascinating topic, though, and I’m sure we’ll be learning more (as we age).
Thanks for writing about it.