Human intelligence begins to decline at age 45

Scientists from University College London found that women and men in the age group 45-49 years, a decrease in IQ of 3.9%.
For 10 years, they have evaluated the memory, vocabulary and the ability to perceive information from 7,000 men and women aged 45 to 70 years.
Previous studies showed that the observed decrease of intelligence from the age of 60. However, the new results show that the reduction of brain function occurs at a much younger age. These data are important for the development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment of many degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.
New epidemic. Researchers from University College studied from 1997 to 2007, 5198 men and 2192 women aged 45 to 70 years. All of them were civil servants.
Examined data memory, vocabulary and the ability to perceive sound and visual information. This takes into account the differences in the level of education. The results indicate that the parameters of cognitive decline in all categories, except vocabulary, and this decline was accelerated with age.
In men aged 65-70 years, cognitive decline was 9.6%, and women in the same age group - 7.4%. Professor Singh Arkan-Mann of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of France, who leads a group of researchers at the University College, said that the findings suggest that the development of dementia is a long process and can take two to three decades.
"We must now take up the study of which populations are more at risk and how to slow the decline of intelligence. Early intervention is possible, and the pace of development of these diseases depend on bad habits such as smoking and physical activity," - said the professor.
The attention of many physiologists around the world are now brought to the epidemic of degenerative diseases, which include dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and many more, which is observed in developed countries, where the population is aging rapidly.