Older Women's Memory Better Than Men's

A middle-aged woman may have a better memory than a middle-aged man, a new study suggests. UK researchers asked men and women aged 50 to remember 10 words and to recall them two minutes and five minutes later. Women scored 5% higher than men, on average, in the first test and 8% better in the second.

The 9,600 UK men and women who participated in the study are part of a group that has been tracked since birth. Since they'd already been tested at 16, the latest results will help researchers gauge the effects of exercise, diet, smoking, alcohol; and depression on the mind. Initial results showed that those who exercised at least once a month did better than those who did not; non- and former smokers outperformed their smoking peers, the Telegraph notes. (More memory stories.)