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75-year-olds in the US, in other words, scored far better than their sun-starved age peers, and equalled the performance of Brits 10 years younger, according to the study, published in London-based journal BMC Geriatrics.
The tests measured instant and delayed recall of a series of ten common nouns such as "tree", "village," "baby," etc. Participants were also asked what day, date, month and year it was.
On a 24-point scale, US subjects scored 12.8 on average, compared to 11.4 for the English.
"The better cognitive performance of US adults was actually quite surprising," said Kenneth Langa, a researcher at the University of Michigan and the study's lead author.
"US adults have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, which are generally associated with cognitive decline and poorer mental function."
Such risk factors include smoking tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity and high blood pressure.
Britain has the highest rate of obesity in Europe, but Americans tip the scales even more.
Langa speculated that higher education and income levels in the United States may have compensated, resulting in sharper minds going into old age.
He also noted that American adults report significantly lower levels of depression than their British counterparts, a factor than can also affect cognitive skills.
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The tests measured instant and delayed recall of a series of ten common nouns such as "tree", "village," "baby," etc. Participants were also asked what day, date, month and year it was.
On a 24-point scale, US subjects scored 12.8 on average, compared to 11.4 for the English.
"The better cognitive performance of US adults was actually quite surprising," said Kenneth Langa, a researcher at the University of Michigan and the study's lead author.
"US adults have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, which are generally associated with cognitive decline and poorer mental function."
Such risk factors include smoking tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity and high blood pressure.
Britain has the highest rate of obesity in Europe, but Americans tip the scales even more.
Langa speculated that higher education and income levels in the United States may have compensated, resulting in sharper minds going into old age.
He also noted that American adults report significantly lower levels of depression than their British counterparts, a factor than can also affect cognitive skills.
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