The relationship between lifestyle factors and cognitive ability in older adults

As the older population of Canada continues to grow, the need to identify risk and protective factors associated with age-related cognitive decline becomes increasingly important for the well-being of Canadians. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and alcohol use have been shown to influence cognition. The strength of this effect may vary by sex; factors such oral contraceptives and hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) may account for differences between men and women. By considering hormonal influence, we hope to shed light on the complex relationship between risk factors, protective factors, and maintenance of cognitive ability during the aging process. We also hope to gain understanding of how the timing of HRT can be planned to maximize benefit and minimize risk for cognitive health and functioning in post-menopausal women.

Age, sex, and alcohol use have an impact on cognition. Our study examined each of these factors and their interactions with one another by analyzing cross-sectional data collected by the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging during their first wave of data collection (between 2011 and 2015). Results suggest that: (1) younger adults perform better on cognitive tests than older adults; (2) women score higher than men on tasks assessing memory and verbal fluency; and (3) higher levels of alcohol use are associated with higher cognitive test scores. While we observed a potential benefit to alcohol use on cognitive performance, very small effect sizes combined with previous evidence of the toxic effects of alcohol indicate that our findings should be interpreted with caution and future research is warranted.