What Makes a SuperAger? Scientists Are Looking Beyond Alzheimer’s Risk

By Felicia Goldstein, PhD
An older woman with white hair plants pink flowers in a raised garden bed on a sunny day.

What if exceptional memory in your 80s and beyond is not simply a matter of having fewer genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease?

That question is helping scientists rethink how we understand brain aging.

New research from the SuperAging Research Initiative found that common genetic risk factors, including apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene status and Alzheimer’s polygenic risk scores, did not predict who would qualify as a SuperAger. The findings suggest that exceptional memory in later life cannot be explained simply by having less genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Instead, researchers are investigating the biological and life experiences that may contribute to cognitive resilience.

So, what can we learn from SuperAgers today?

While there is no proven formula for becoming a SuperAger, we can take steps that support brain health throughout life:

  • Keep learning. Challenge your brain with new skills, reading, creative activities and meaningful experiences.
  • Stay active. Regular physical activity supports both cardiovascular and brain health.
  • Protect your heart. Manage blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar with your health care team.
  • Stay connected. Meaningful relationships and social engagement support healthy aging.
  • Prioritize sleep. Good-quality sleep is an important part of brain health.
  • Eat for overall health. Focus on a balanced eating pattern that supports cardiovascular and metabolic health.
  • Stay engaged and purposeful. Continue doing things that bring meaning, connection and joy.

These habits are not a guarantee against Alzheimer’s disease, and they do not provide a recipe for becoming a SuperAger. But they reflect an important principle emerging from SuperAging research: brain health is about more than risk. It is also about resilience.

For years, scientists have studied what makes the brain vulnerable to disease. SuperAgers offer another opportunity: to understand what may help some brains remain resilient despite aging.

The goal is not simply to prevent disease. It is to understand how we can help more people maintain memory, independence and quality of life as they age.

Felicia Goldstein, PhD, is a Clinical Neuropsychologist at Emory University’s Goizueta Brain Health Institute and is a co-author of the study.

Research: Piras IS, et al. “SuperAging is not the inverse of common-variant Alzheimer’s risk: evidence across genetic ancestries.” Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, July 2026.