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Residential areas with more green space were associated with faster thinking, better attention, and higher overall cognitive function in middle-aged women, according to an NIA-funded study. Published in JAMA Network Open, the findings suggest that green space — such as trees, flowers, grass, gardens, and parks — could be explored as a potential community-based approach to improving cognitive health.

For this study, a team of researchers from Boston University, Harvard University, and Rush University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago analyzed cognitive test and residential green space data from 13,594 women with an average age of 61. The women were enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a longitudinal study that examines risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. The participants took online cognitive tests that measured psychomotor speed, attention, learning, and working memory. Then, using satellite image-based technology, the researchers determined the amount of green space around each participant’s home. Researchers evaluated the association between the amount of green space within walking distance of a participant’s home and their cognitive function.

They found that women living in areas with more green space had higher scores on thinking speed, attention, and overall cognitive function. From a cognitive perspective, this translated to being 1.2 years younger. However, living in an area with more green space did not affect learning or working memory, which involves keeping track of information while doing a task. This finding is consistent with another study that found living in neighborhoods with green space was not associated with the size of the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

Next, the team tested several factors thought to affect cognition, including neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES). Notably, among women living in neighborhoods with a higher SES, the positive association between green space and thinking speed and attention, as well as overall cognitive function, was greater. They also found that the effects of green space on cognition were not significantly affected by population density. This suggests that the cognitive benefits of green space extend to various settings, such as urban neighborhoods.

Previous research has shown that green space is associated with decreased pollution levels, lower risk of depression, and increased physical activity — all of which can positively affect cognition. In this study, the researchers found that the positive impact of green space on thinking speed, attention, and overall cognitive function could not be explained by the effects of air quality or physical activity. However, they found that the cognitive benefit of living near green space could be partly due to reduced rates of depression.

This nationwide study shows that exposure to green space may support cognitive health. Moreover, the findings support the need for further research into the use of green space exposure as a possible way to reduce the risks of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants 1K99AG066949-02, R01AG067497, and R01AG065359.

Each year, millions of people suffer from seasonal influenza, which is often called the flu. Flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs.

Flu is a mild illness for some people. But for others, including older adults and those with chronic (long-lasting) health conditions, the flu can be very serious and even life-threatening. Getting a flu vaccine every year can help prevent the flu. The vaccine is safe, effective, and available for little to no cost to you.

Most people who get the flu feel better after a few days to two weeks. However, the flu can make you seriously ill. Some people develop other health issues, called complications, because of the flu. Complications can be mild, such as a sinus or ear infection, or more serious, like pneumonia.

Anyone can get sick from the flu, but some people are more likely to have complications. You are more at risk for flu and its complications if you:

Are age 65 or older

Have certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease

Have heart disease or have had a stroke

Live in a nursing home or other long-term care facility

Pregnant people and children younger than five years old are also more likely to get very sick from the flu. Flu vaccination is especially important for people in these higher-risk groups. Learn more about people at increased risk for flu and its complications.

The flu is more dangerous for older adults for a few reasons. One reason is that the immune system — which helps your body fight infections — weakens as you age. For example, because your body is busy fighting off the flu, you might pick up a secondary infection such as pneumonia. A second reason is that older adults are also more likely to have other health conditions, like diabetes, that increase their risk for complications from the flu.

The good news is the flu vaccine reduces your risk of getting the flu and of getting seriously ill if you do get sick with the flu. Flu vaccination is especially helpful for people with chronic health conditions. For example, it has been linked to lower rates of heart problems (cardiac events) among people with heart disease and fewer hospitalizations among people who have chronic lung disease or diabetes. Learn more about the benefits of flu vaccination.

The flu is contagious, which means it spreads from person to person. It mostly spreads through droplets in the air when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk. It can spread from up to six feet away. Although it isn’t as common, the flu can also spread from surfaces — for example, if you touch something the virus is on and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes.

It’s possible to spread the flu before you feel sick and when you have symptoms. Typically, people with the flu can spread it a day before, and up to a week after feeling sick. Young children and people with weakened immune systems may be able to spread the flu for even longer. If you or someone you know is sick with the flu, take steps to help prevent spreading the disease

People with the flu can have fever, chills, dry cough, general aches and pains, and a headache. They feel very tired. Sore throat, sneezing, stuffy nose, or stomach problems are less common. What some people call “stomach flu” is not influenza.

Physical frailty is associated with abnormal structures in white matter of the brain, according to a study funded in part by NIA. The research, led by an NIA scientist and published in the Journal of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, suggests that these abnormal structures may be an important biomarker for future frailty risk.

Frailty is common in older adults and is characterized by susceptibility to poor health, a loss of physical or psychological function, and an elevated risk of disease and death. Physical frailty is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and other neurologic disorders, but few studies have examined the neurobiological changes that underlie frailty and frailty risk. The research team studied the association of cerebral white matter structure with current and future frailty.

The researchers engaged participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) Neurocognitive Study, an ongoing, community-based study that recruited 15,792 volunteers aged 45-65 years from Washington County, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis; and Jackson, Mississippi.

Using brain MRI data from 1,754 participants in the ARIC Neurocognitive Study, the researchers found that frail individuals had more abnormal white matter structures in their brains, known as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), than non-frail participants. WMH are brain lesions that indicate injury or disease and show up as bright areas during MRI scans.

Non-frail participants with a high volume of WMH had an increased risk of developing frailty during a seven-year follow-up period, suggesting that WMH may be an important biomarker for future frailty risk. The findings held true for Black and white participants, men and women, and those without a history of dementia or stroke. Though frailty is unlikely to cause these brain changes, it is possible that structural damage to cerebral white matter promotes the development of frailty.

The research suggests physical frailty may serve as a clinical indicator of cerebral small vessel disease and perhaps a sign that a person has an increased risk for future dementia or cognitive deterioration. The team noted that implementing a frailty assessment in a health care setting may help identify individuals at risk for cognitive and functional decline. Additionally, they acknowledged that other biomarkers of brain health, such as brain volume, may also relate to frailty risk.

Further studies are needed to determine whether neurological factors play a causal role in frailty development.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants ZIAAG000348 and P30AG021334.

National Insitute on Aging (NIA)

A person’s chance of having Alzheimer’s disease may be higher if he or she has a family history of dementia because there are some genes that we know increase risk. However, having a parent with Alzheimer’s does not necessarily mean that someone will develop the disease. Learn about your family health history and talk with your doctor about your concerns.

Environmental and lifestyle factors, such as exercise, diet, exposure to pollutants, and smoking also may affect a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s. While you cannot control the genes you inherited, you can take steps to stay healthy as you age, such as getting regular exercise, controlling high blood pressure, and not smoking.

As the U.S. population ages, the number of licensed older adults on the road will continue to increase. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recorded a record-high 221.7 million licensed drivers in the U.S. in 2016, including 41.7 million — or almost one in five — who are 65 years or older.

Natural changes can occur with age that may affect a person’s ability to drive, like having slower response speed, diminished vision or hearing, and reduced strength or mobility. The question of when it is time to limit or stop driving should not be about age, rather, it should be about one’s ability to drive safely. These questions may help you determine if you or a loved one needs to limit or stop driving. Talk with your doctor if you have any concerns about your health and driving.

Although osteoporosis is more common in women, this disease still affects many men and could be underdiagnosed. While men may not be as likely to have osteoporosis because they start with more bone density than women, one in five men over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. By age 65 or 70, men and women lose bone mass at the same rate.

Many of the things that put men at risk are the same as those for women, including family history, not enough calcium or vitamin D, and too little exercise. Low levels of testosterone, too much alcohol, taking certain drugs, and smoking are other risk factors.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you have been smoking, quitting at any time improves your health. Smokers who quit have fewer illnesses such as colds and the flu, lower rates of bronchitis and pneumonia, and an overall better feeling of well-being.

The benefits of quitting are almost immediate. Within a few hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood begins to decline and, in a few weeks, your circulation improves, and your lung function increases. Smoking causes an immediate and long term rise in your heart rate and blood pressure, but quitting can lead to a lowering of heart rate and blood pressure over time. Quitting smoking will also lower your risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, and lung disease. Quitting will also reduce secondhand smoke exposure to other family members or caregivers in the home. It is never too late to reap the benefits of quitting smoking and setting a healthy example for your children and grandchildren.