New research has identified a possible link between a person’s outlook on life and their risk of developing dementia.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, examined whether having higher levels of optimism could reduce the chances of cognitive decline over time.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 adults who were cognitively healthy at the start of the study. Participants were followed for up to 14 years, with more than 3,000 developing dementia during that period.

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Those who reported higher levels of optimism on a questionnaire had about a 15% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those with less optimism, even after adjusting for factors such as age, education, depression and major health conditions, according to a study press release.

The findings were consistent across demographic groups and remained largely unchanged after accounting for health behaviors and mental health status.

The results suggest that emotional and psychological factors may play a role in brain health as people age, the researchers noted.

“Our personal emotional and social resources — like how hopeful and positive we feel about the future — may be related to keeping our brains healthy,” said lead study author Säde Stenlund, a social and behavioral sciences researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in the release.

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The findings align with previous research linking optimism to other health benefits.

People with a more positive outlook were shown to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and may be more likely to live longer.

The researchers noted that the study was observational, meaning it only shows an association and cannot prove that optimism directly reduces the risk of dementia.

Other factors not measured in the study may have influenced the results, and changes in mood might be an early sign of dementia rather than a cause of it, they added.

Still, the findings point to a potential area for future research.

“Since optimism may be increased through relatively simple, low-intensity programs, it is helpful to understand how it is related to health in aging,” Stenlund said.

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More studies, including clinical trials, are needed to determine whether boosting optimism could have a measurable impact on long-term dementia risk.

Fox News Digital previously reported that while dementia cases are rising, certain lifestyle habits may help reduce risk.

New York neurologist Dr. Joel Salinas previously told Fox News Digital that factors such as diet, exercise and social engagement play a key role in brain health.

“It’s about putting the odds in your favor that you’ll be less likely to develop one of these conditions, or at least delay the onset of symptoms,” he said.

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Experts also recommend addressing conditions such as hearing loss, limiting alcohol consumption and quitting smoking, as these factors have been linked to cognitive decline.

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.

Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

A heartfelt video shows Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch reuniting with her dog after returning from a historic 10-day mission in space.

The video captures the dog eagerly anticipating Koch’s arrival, barking as she opens the door and embraces her pet.

The emotional reunion came just days after Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, following the mission around the moon.

The crew — three Americans and one Canadian — became the first humans to travel to the moon since NASA’s Apollo era more than a half-century ago.

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The astronauts received a thunderous welcome home Saturday at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Mission Control after their splashdown the evening prior.

After reuniting with their spouses and children, Mission Specialist Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen took the stage inside the hangar, surrounded by space center workers and invited guests.

During Artemis II’s mission, the astronauts traveled deeper into space than the moon explorers of decades past and captured views of the lunar far side never seen by human eyes. A total solar eclipse added to the spectacle.

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At the mission’s farthest point, the crew reached approximately 252,756 miles from Earth before looping behind the moon, surpassing Apollo 13’s distance record.

The mission also revealed a new perspective of Earth through an “Earthset” image, showing the planet setting behind the moon’s gray, cratered surface — echoing the iconic 1968 “Earthrise” photo taken during Apollo 8.

“Honestly, what struck me wasn’t necessarily just Earth — it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbed in the universe,” Koch said. “Planet Earth, you are a crew.”

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen are the first humans to travel to the moon since Apollo 17 concluded NASA’s initial era of lunar exploration in 1972. A total of 24 astronauts journeyed to the moon during Apollo, including 12 who walked on its surface.

NASA has emphasized the importance of Artemis II’s success as it prepares for future missions. The agency is targeting Artemis III, which is expected to involve crewed operations with a lunar lander, followed by Artemis IV — a planned mission aiming to return astronauts to the moon’s surface near the lunar south pole, later this decade.

Scottie Scheffler finished just behind Rory McIlroy at the Masters this weekend, finishing just a stroke behind the back-to-back green jacket winner.

Scheffler took issue with the conditions at Augusta National Golf Course and expressed it as much after wrapping up the fourth round of the tournament on Sunday evening, telling reporters he wasn’t “in charge of the course setup.”

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“I would’ve liked it to have been a little bit more equal in terms of the firmness on Thursday and Friday. I was a bit surprised at how soft things were on Friday afternoon, especially as it got late in the day. But the weather also changes, like it was a bit windy on Thursday,” he said, via Golf.com.

“So who knows, it’s just that’s part of the game. We play an outdoor sport, and you don’t know how conditions are gonna change — especially course conditions. Overall, like I said, just Friday for me, going out early, not being able to shoot an under-par round, that definitely hurt my chances. I think I started the weekend maybe 12 back, so to get within one was a pretty good run.”

Scheffler said that his second round “probably hurt” his chances of winning the tournament the most. He shot a 74 that day with four bogeys before storming back into contention.

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“We went out on Thursday afternoon were some of the most challenging conditions we had all week,” he said. “I didn’t see many birdies out there Thursday afternoon, so going out on Friday, whatever they did to the greens to soften them up, they did some stuff, and I just wasn’t able to take advantage of that going on early on Friday.

“And then you saw the barrage of birdies that Rory made and Cam Young and a bunch of guys made on Friday late in the day, and I think I finished maybe two over par on Friday. So that day probably hurt the most in terms of my chances to win.”

Scheffler made 12 birdies and two eagles in the tournament. But he also settled for five bogeys over the four rounds.

He was 11-under par for the tournament.

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