ELSA 50+ Health and Life: latest findings

Latest ELSA findings

70 is the New 60

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) has been running for over 20 years, giving researchers a chance to see how ageing in England has changed. Using a new way to measure ageing called “intrinsic capacity,” they looked at different abilities like memory, walking speed, grip strength, and senses such as hearing, sight, and smell.

They found that older people today are healthier both physically and mentally compared to previous generations at the same age. Better education, nutrition, and healthcare over the years may explain these improvements. However, researchers warn that rising obesity levels could slow these gains. Still, the study gives hope that making healthy lifestyle changes can improve how we age.

This research was featured in The Times.

Pets May Be Good for Your Brain

ELSA has studied pet ownership over time and found a link between having a pet and better brain health. For people living alone, owning a pet appears to slow down cognitive decline. Since living alone is known to increase dementia risk, this is an important discovery that could help improve health in older adults.

This study was featured in the BBC’s science magazine. You can read more here: Science Focus Article.

Dame Helen Mirren Talks About Ageism

You may have seen Helen Mirren recently speaking about age discrimination. As an ambassador for Age UK, she shared findings from ELSA showing that 6.1 million people aged 50 and older in England have faced ageism.

ELSA data also found that one in six women aged 50 or older have experienced sexism, and over half of older people from ethnic minorities have faced racial or religious discrimination.

Age UK’s Chief Executive Paul Farmer said, “We need to change how we think about ageing so older people feel valued and included. By doing this, future generations will have a better experience of later life.”

How ELSA Shapes Policy

The ELSA study is funded by the UK government, including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Department for Transport (DfT). These departments use ELSA data to create policies for older people.

For example:

  • DHSC: Used ELSA data to improve adult social care and look at palliative care needs.
  • DWP: Explored how menopause affects women leaving work and studied the impact of new pension freedoms.
  • DfT: Researched how older people travel, including walking and car use.

ELSA on Radio 4

Professor Andrew Steptoe, the director of ELSA, appeared on BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind. He discussed how anxiety changes as people get older.

Listen to the episode here: BBC Sounds.

Learn More About ELSA

Data from ELSA has been featured in over 1,300 research studies. Find them here: ELSA Publications.

Support

If you have been affected by any topics covered by the study, please visit ELSA Support Organisations.