What are the common traits of older people known as ‘super agers’

Q. At age 86, I want to continue to live a long and healthy life. I have heard of the term “super agers.” How old are they, and is there anything we can learn from them? Thank you. W.N.

Many of us believe that getting older automatically means we are victims of cognitive decline. Indeed, there are some cognitive changes that come with age. We may occasionally forget a person’s name or where we placed our keys. It may take us a little longer to learn new information or to multitask. That’s considered normal.

But this doesn’t happen to all older adults. There is a special group called “super agers.” They are considered relatively rare with no known precise number. Dr. Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, reports that “far less than 10 percent of the p