That’s because they are!

A new study published in The Lancet, shows that today’s nonagenarians are mentally sharper than their predecessors a decade ago. Researchers compared intellectual abilities of people born in 1905 and who were tested at age 93 to those born in 1915 and tested in 2010 at age 95. The study not only assessed participant’s mental skills but also looked at how they were able to carry out physical activities of daily living by testing items such as gait speed and grip strength.

Not only did the 1915 group score significantly higher on the cognitive function part of the test, they also had a higher percentage of participants obtaining a maximum score versus the 1905 group (23% to 13%). Those born in 1915 also performed better on the activities of daily living part of the test even though they were two years older at time of the assessment.

Great Grandparents