Stop me if you’re heard this: you’re in your twenties. You don’t have kids, you don’t have any major health problems, and you’ve never had any kind of neurological trouble. So why are you forgetting things?
According to a study just published in PLOS One, even young adults can have major memory issues if they have any one of a number of risk factors. What are the factors, you ask? Well, it isn’t pretty.
Researchers polled more than 18,000 people about their memory and a whole bunch of other lifestyle and health factors. People ranged in age from eighteen to ninety nine, and researchers asked about things like included depression, lower education levels, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking.
Twenty per cent of those polled had memory issues; amongst younger adults, the total was fourteen per cent. Researchers said they were surprised about the prevalence of memory issues in younger adults (ages eighteen to thirty-nine). According to their results, depression, low education levels, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure all increase the likelihood of memory complains. Depression was the single biggest factor.
Moreover, having just one factor increased the prevalence of memory issues.
The good news is that you can see your doctor about blood pressure, you can exercise to solve the physical inactivity, and you can always take a class to boost your education (like this one!). As for the depression, you can always take matters into your own hands by exercising, or make an appointment to talk to someone.
