Determining the role of lifestyle factors in healthy cognitive preservation in SuperAgers: A systematic review

Background A subset of older adults, known as SuperAgers (SAs), exhibit exceptional resilience to these effects, displaying cognitive abilities at the same level or exceeding those 20-30 years younger. To date however, there is little understanding as to which factors may be responsible for SA enhanced cognitive abilities in old age. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the evidence for an association between lifestyle factors and SA status. Methods A systematic literature search in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines was conducted across MedLine, Embase, Ovid, Global Health, APA PsychArticles, and PsycINFO from inception to 06/11/23 of studies investigating the link between SA status and one or more lifestyle factors. Results A systematic search identified 13 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Eleven investigated the relationship between two or more lifestyle factors with the most common lifestyle factor examined being mental health followed by physical activity, social engagement and smoking. Mixed results were observed across the included studies while social engagement and mental health emerged as the most likely lifestyle factors to be positively associated with SA status, there was considerable heterogeneity in the measures used to assess different lifestyle factors. Conclusion No clear conclusions could be drawn as to which lifestyle factors are associated with SA status due to scarcity of studies and heterogeneity in the measurement of different lifestyle factors.