Southfield (WWJ)  -- Good news for those of us getting older. A University of Michigan study finds fewer Americans over 70 suffering from memory loss or more serious problems.

Cognitive impairment fell 3.5-percent among that age group between 1993 and 2002, which amounts to hundreds of thousands of people. 

Lead author Kenneth Langa says while the reasons for this decline aren't yet fully known, older people are much likelier to have had more formal education, higher economic status, and better care for risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking that can jeopardize their brains.   

"From these results, we can say that brain health among older Americans seems to have improved in the decade studied, and that education and wealth may be a big piece of the puzzle," says Langa, an associate professor of internal medicine.

Researchers say today's older Americans should not rest on their laurels - but instead should be pursuing activities that can keep their minds sharp and their cardiovascular risk low. From crossword puzzles and volunteer activities to blood pressure medications, today's seniors can work to boost their brain health now and prevent decline later.

"More and more studies suggest that walking and other types of physical activity are important for preventing cognitive and memory decline," says co-author Eric Larson, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle.

The study is published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.  The study is based on data from the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey of older Americans funded by the National Institute on Aging and based at the U-M Institute for Social Research. 

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