Sir David Attenborough Struggles With Memory Loss And Boomers Start To Worry

In between discussing how to save the planet, Sir David Attenborough recently mentioned something that tapped directly into the fears of the world’s older residents: He’s having trouble remembering names. In his case, plant names. Aging’s biggest bugaboo is memory loss, and the worry that someday we won’t recognize our loved ones strikes fear in the heart of even the most laid-back boomer.  So when the famed naturalist, who turns 91 in May, sat down with The Telegraph less than 24 hours after a trip to the Jura Mountains in Switzerland and noted that he hadn’t remembered the name of a searing yellow plant in front of him (it was oilseed rape), some panic alarms went off. Attenborough told the Telegraph that he was “coming to terms” with the idea that when finding the right words takes longer, you can “run into problems.” (He couldn’t be reached for comment by HuffPost.) The question is how big a problem does Attenborough actually have. Is he struggling with some memory loss as most people his age will? Or is he experiencing excessive cognitive decline? And, of course, are the rest of us suddenly drawing parallels with our last “senior moment”? How much forgetfulness is normal? Forgetfulness is a normal part of growing older, according to the National Institute on Aging. With advancing years, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain. People may notice they d...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news