Wiley Apr 8 2026 Higher optimism is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a new study in the  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society .  In the analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of older US adults, optimism was assessed using the validated Life Orientation Test-Revised in 9,071 cognitively healthy individuals within 2 years of obtaining each person's first measure of cognitive function. Dementia was assessed