What were you up to in high school?

This is a interesting study. It seems like a stretch, really, but I cannot help but cover this one.

The headline in the press statement reads: "Study links adolescent IQ/activity levels with risk of dementia."

Scientists report that "your IQ and extracurricular interests as a teenager may forecast your memory and thinking abilities decades later."

Okay, so we are all thinking back to those days now, right, and wondering how we would be categorized.

This study is issued from a credible bunch at the University Memory and Aging Center, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland. They found that persons who were more active in high school and who had higher IQ scores, were less likely to have mild memory and thinking problems and dementia as older adults.

"The Case researchers used historical data from high school records and yearbooks from the mid-1940s to create a picture of the students' abilities and interests as teens," the statement says.

"In 2002, interviews with the graduates, now in their 70s, and their family members were conducted to learn about the adult cognitive status of each subject. The research team reported on data collected from nearly 400 graduates," the researchers say.

The scientists note that a "particular strength of the Case study is the use of objective measures of cognitive ability (IQ) collected in the teen years. Also, no study has yet reported on associations between teen activity levels and dementia risk using objective measures (i.e., extracurricular activity participation)."

And the best part: "It's a safe bet that being intellectually engaged, physically active, and socially connected has many health benefits across the lifespan and is to be recommended."

Find more about this study at web site Eurekalert.