Intelligence has been linked with longevity after a study by scientists at the University of Edinburgh showed that children with higher IQs are more likely to live longer.
Scientists studied IQ tests taken by 2,792 11-year-old children living in Aberdeen in 1932, following up to see which of them were still alive in 1997.
It was found that both men and women with high IQ scores as children were much more likely to be alive 60 years later. Those still living at age 76 had an average IQ score of 102 at the age of 11, while those who died by 1997 had an average of 97.7.
A 15-point lower score meant people had a fifth less chance of seeing their 76th birthday, while those with a 30-point disadvantage were 37 per cent less likely than those with a higher IQ to live that long.
Commenting on the correlation between old age and intelligence, Professor Lawrence Whalley, of the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘Our data show that high mental ability in late childhood reduces the chances of death up to age 76.’
It is thought that factors such as childhood diet and economic status play a role in the statistics.
Archive for January, 2007
People with a sunny, optimistic outlook on growing older live longer than those who are constantly worrying about it.
Researchers, led by Dr Becca Levy from Yale University in Connecticut, have found that the effect of a positive attitude towards ageing is greater than physiological considerations such as low blood pressure and cholesterol – both of which are thought to add a maximum of four years to life.
The team of psychologists concluded that those who are more positive about their age and the ageing process live an average of 7.5 years longer than those who regret the passing years.
It is believed that negative thoughts about age and the ageing process have a direct correlation with the will to live.
The National Institute of Ageing in Baltimore, USA, has been working on a long-term study of factors affecting human lifespan. Their experts have discovered that those with a lower body temperature live longer, as do those with lower levels of insulin and those with higher levels of DHEAS, another chemical circulating in the blood.
“Judging a person based on age alone is so misguided. It’s skills, competence, attitude and abilities that count. I have learned in my BBC career that experience is the most valuable commodity of all, but it’s not necessarily the most valued. So – stereotyping people on grounds of age is simply unwise.”
Commenting further on age discrimination, Edwards said: “Employers should be wary of losing out on a valuable resource by ignoring what mature people have to offer. Businesses should embrace age positive practices and reap the benefits.”
(Huw Edwards, BBC News Reader, quoted in Be Ready Newsletter, July 2006.)
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