Test subjects with long telomeres* experienced less cognitive decline compared to those with short or medium-length telomeres in a University of California, San Francisco study that followed 2734 physically fit adults with an average age of 74.

The shortening of telomeres is linked to reduced lifespan, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.

* A region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome that protects the end of the chromosome from destruction