The results of a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry show that staying sexually active—and considering sexuality an important part of one's life—may be linked to higher cognitive functioning as people age. The study, conducted in the Netherlands, focused on 1,747 men and women who took part in a larger study on aging. Researchers, using a subject pool from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, assessed cognitive function using a variety of tests, and also asked each subject four questions about sexuality and aging. Information on subjects' chronic diseases, depression, and medications were also noted.

You can read about some of the findings at the Wall Street Journal [2], or get the full journal article here [3].