Look on the “bright side” … It’s less demented…
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Fifty-seven million people worldwide live with dementia. Scientists continue searching for ways to stave it off. There could be a surprisingly simple solution!
Enter Säde Stenlund and team at Harvard University. They followed the wellbeing of over nine thousand healthy fifty-year-olds… with a twist!
Stenlund examined baseline optimism through a questionnaire and compared it with cognitive health. The study lasted over fourteen years!
And?
Optimism was associated with a fifteen percent lower risk of developing dementia! This was seen consistently after adjusting for age, sex, education, depression, and health conditions!
So stay “positive,” and let your brain shine bright forever.
Reference: Stenlund, S., Koga, H. K., James, P., Farmer, J., McGrath, C. B., Grodstein, F., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2026). The Bright Side of Life: Optimism and Risk of Dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.