Have you ever heard the expression, “you’re only as old as you feel?” A new study finds that may actually be true! Researchers in Germany report older adults who say they “feel younger” than their actual age show less signs of stress-related aging than their peers.
Their findings reveal adults with a youthful outlook displayed stronger cognitive abilities, less inflammation, fewer risks for hospitalization, and even lived longer in comparison to other adults who “feel old.” Researchers add this supports the theory that someone’s subjective age provides tangible benefits for their health and protects against stress.
“Generally, we know that functional health declines with advancing age, but we also know that these age-related functional health trajectories are remarkably varied. As a result, some individuals enter old age and very old age with quite good and intact health resources, whereas others experience a pronounced decline in functional health, which might even result in need for long-term care,” explains study lead author Markus Wettstein, PhD, from the University of Heidelberg, in a media release.
“Our findings support the role of stress as a risk factor for functional health decline, particularly among older individuals, as well as the health-supporting and stress-buffering role of a younger subjective age.”
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