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People living in poorer neighborhoods are at risk of seeing their brains age faster, according to a recent study. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health analyzed health data from 601 people, average age 59, from another study. Sixty-nine percent had a family history of dementia. Participants had an MRI of their brains at the start of the study, and then again every three to five years for a decade. They also underwent memory and cognitive tests every two years.
When the study began, there was no difference in brain volume depending on where the participants lived. At the end of the study, people who lived in poorer areas experienced more brain shrinkage and a faster drop in cognitive tests used to measure Alzheimer’s risk. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss this urgent news: Sure Signs You Have A ‘Long’ COVID And You May Not Even Know It.
What could be causing this?
“Some possible causes of these brain changes can include air pollution, lack of access to healthy food and health care, and stressful life events.“said study author Amy JH Kind.” Further research into possible social and biological pathways could help physicians, researchers and policy makers identify effective pathways for prevention and intervention in the disease. Alzheimer’s disease and associated dementias. “
“Our results suggest that increased vigilance on the part of health care providers for the first signs of dementia may be particularly important in this vulnerable population,” Kind said.
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How common is dementia?
The genesis of dementia – an umbrella term for several conditions that involve a decline in memory, judgment, and the ability to communicate – is unclear. But the risk increases with age. About 14% of Americans over 71 have some form of dementia, or about 3.4 million people in total.
“Dementia is a major cause of disease and a devastating diagnosis worldwide,” Kind said. “There is currently no treatment to cure the disease, so it is important to identify possible modifiable risk factors. There is compelling evidence that the social, economic, cultural and physical conditions in which humans live can affect the We wanted to determine whether these neighborhood conditions increase the risk of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline associated with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. ” And to get through this pandemic in better health, don’t miss these 35 places where you’re most likely to catch COVID.
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