Does higher IQ imply longer life?

By Abigail Mellier, April 27th, 2013 | Lifestyle | 0 Comments

In yet another illustration of Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” adage, researchers have found that people with a higher cognitive ability are more likely to lead fuller lives and die at a ripe old age. This indicated people with lower IQ levels may have shorter lives as they are more prone to heart attacks, suicides and accidents.

The research led by Dr David Batty, of the Wellcome Trust in the UK, examined medical records of one million Swedish army conscripts. The study revealed people with higher IQs tend to shun alcohol and smoke and also eat healthier diets as compared to their counterparts with lower IQ levels.

Dr Batty, who is a research fellow at the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, said their analysis had found a strong link between cognitive ability and the risk of death.

The study highlights the fact that intelligence is not merely intellectual ability, but also the inherent knowledge to know what is right and wrong in terms of your health. People with higher IQ levels have the education and the upbringing to know the harmful effects of alcohol and smoke and thus shun them.

Eating healthy food is linked to healthier lives as the risk of heart attacks and lifestyle diseases like diabetes is minimal.