Four simple habits could de-age brain by up to eight years, UF study finds

Four simple habits could de-age the brain by as much as eight years, new University of Florida-led research suggests. In a two-year study of 128 adults in midlife and older across four continents, scientists found that those who blend optimism, adequate deep sleep, stress management and strong social support tended to have brains that appeared younger on MRI than their chronological age.

Researchers used advanced MRI scans and machine-learning models to estimate each participant's brain age and compare it with their actual age. The group included about 70% women, and many participants reported chronic pain related to, or at risk of, knee osteoarthritis. The findings held across diverse backgrounds, underscoring the potential broad relevance of lifestyle factors for brain health.

Beyond the four core habits, other behaviors linked to healthier brain aging included avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight, the team said. Those with what the researchers called the healthiest mix of psychological and lifestyle factors showed brains that appeared up to eight years younger than expected, a result described as meaningful in the paper published in Brain Communications.

'The message is consistent across our studies,' said Kimberly Sibille, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Florida, who led the research. 'Health-promoting behaviours are not only associated with lower pain and better physical functioning. They appear to actually bolster health in an additive fashion at a meaningful level.'

Hardship also mattered. The researchers found that chronic pain, lower income, lower levels of education and social disadvantage were linked with older-appearing brains. However, the impact of hardship tended to weaken over time, while the benefits of positive lifestyle factors were stronger and more durable.

The paper also notes that the study adds to a growing body of evidence that mental wellbeing and lifestyle choices influence brain health even among those coping with chronic conditions.

Separately, researchers reported findings on how personality traits relate to longevity. In a large analysis of data from more than half a million people, spanning nearly six million person-years, five traits—neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness—were examined for their relationship to mortality risk. Those with higher neuroticism, associated with anxiety and emotional instability, had a three percent higher risk of death, while higher conscientiousness, linked to organization and dependability, was associated with a ten percent lower mortality. Extraversion was tied to a three percent lower mortality risk, with stronger effects in the United States and Australia. There was no clear link for openness or agreeableness.

Dr Máire McGeehan, an assistant professor at the University of Limerick who led the study, said the findings suggest personality is a critical driver of health and longevity, with effects similar in size to widely recognized public-health factors. The research, conducted with Florida State University, West Virginia University and Northwestern University, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Together, the studies illustrate a broader theme: mental wellbeing and social and lifestyle factors can influence health across the lifespan, potentially shaping both brain aging and lifespan itself.