Personal change management may become a difficult task for individuals who are growing older. Often, they experience memory lapses that cause them to forget important information. However, new research suggests that the faltering of mental capacity may not be simply a part of growing old. Instead, it may predict serious cognitive impairment in the future.
Researchers from Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital interviewed nearly 17,000 older individuals, asking them questions about their health and whether or not they ever experienced any memory issues.
The results showed that those who reported occasionally having trouble finding their way around familiar streets or experienced other common memory issues were more likely to show signs of cognitive impairment.
"These findings suggest that clinicians may need to differentiate between the types of memory complaints their patients have, as some are likely due to normal aging whereas others are worrisome for possible cognitive decline," said lead researcher Dr. Rebecca Amariglio.
She added that her team's findings are particularly important because of the growing number of people who will soon enter retirement age. If doctors are not careful to identify potential cognitive problems in their patients, the prevalence of these issues could explode in the coming years.
While this situation could interfere with many individuals' goals of living a satisfying retirement, spiritual growth exercises may enable people to avoid this fate. By working to keep the mind sharp through methods like meditation, it may be possible to head off the types of issues experienced by many others. Cognitive issues may become more common overall, but it is up to the individual to take responsibility to avoid them in their own life.
