Study: Walkable Neighborhoods Lower Risk of Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

"New study results from the University of Kansas to be presented this weekend at the Gerontological Society of America’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., bolster the adage that 'heart healthy is brain healthy,'" according to a press release from the University of Kansas.  

Here is the key point about the finding: "The investigation shows neighborhoods that motivate walking can stave off cognitive decline in older adults."

Here's how the press release describes the study's methodology: "The KU researcher [Amber Watts] and her colleagues used the space syntax data to estimate a 'walkability score' for subjects' home addresses. Then they estimated the relationship between people's neighborhood scores and their performance on cognitive tests over two years, factoring in issues like age, gender, education and wealth, that might influence people’s cognitive scores independently of neighborhood characteristics."