According to a news release by the National Institute of Aging, a recent study supported by the National National Institute of Aging (which is part of the National Institutes of Health) and Harvard University found that cognitive health among older Americans improved between 1993 and 2002. "These data suggest that we may be experiencing a shift in the cognitive health of older Americans," said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the National Institute on Aging.

The results were attributed to such factors as improved treatments for stroke, heart disease, and vascular conditions, as well as to higher levels of education, which may help provide a reserve capacity for people suffering cognitive impairment.