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Cognitive performance declines with advancing age. When this decline begins, however, is unclear. In this prospective cohort study, investigators estimated the 10-year decline in cognitive function in London civil servants (age, ≥45).
At baseline, the 5200 men and 2200 women were divided into five age groups (45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, and 65–70) and underwent cognitive testing. Cognitive outcomes were tests of memory, reasoning, vocabulary, and phonemic and semantic fluency. Participants were assessed three times during the next 10 years. All cognitive outcomes, except vocabulary, declined significantly in all baseline age groups with evidence for faster decline in older participants. For example, in men who were 45 to 49 at baseline, the …