A groundbreaking study has established a powerful connection between an individual's financial earnings and their likelihood of developing dementia later in life. Researchers issued this stark warning after analysing data from more than 5,000 adults across the United States.
The Poverty and Dementia Connection
The investigation determined that individuals with lower incomes and those from minority ethnic backgrounds were significantly more likely to possess risk factors associated with life-altering brain disorders. More than 7 million Americans are currently living with dementia, a figure projected to triple by the year 2060.
Specifically, a lower income was correlated with a higher probability of conditions such as high blood pressure, hearing loss, depression, and a sedentary lifestyle. The study, conducted by members of the American Academy of Neurology, also uncovered that one in five dementia cases in older people living below the poverty line could be connected to vision loss and social isolation.
Dr. Eric Stulberg of the Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College commented on the potential for intervention. "While our results are exploratory and do not show cause and effect, improving access to vision care and reducing social isolation among older adults could potentially have a major impact in those living below the poverty level," he explained.
Disparities Across Racial Groups
The research, which assessed participants from 1999 to 2018, delved deeper into health disparities. Even after accounting for variations in income, scientists found that diabetes, obesity, vision loss, and physical inactivity were still more strongly linked to historically underrepresented groups. This includes Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and non-Mexican Hispanic Americans.
Black Americans are known to face a higher risk for dementia than other racial groups. Recent studies have pointed to potential explanations, including genes associated with African ancestry and higher rates of high blood pressure. Notably, many risk factors for cardiovascular disease and dementia overlap, such as diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Cardiologist Dr. Roy Ziegelstein from Johns Hopkins Medicine confirmed the link, stating, "About one in five who have a heart attack are found to have depression soon after the heart attack."
Actionable Steps to Reduce Risk
The study evaluated 13 key dementia risk factors:
- Low education
- Alcohol use
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Depression
- Physical inactivity
- Social isolation
- High 'bad' LDL cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Untreated high blood pressure
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Traumatic brain injury
The analysis revealed that higher incomes—defined as more than five times the federal poverty level—were associated with a lower prevalence of nearly every dementia risk factor. The authors emphasised that addressing vision loss and social isolation could potentially mitigate at least 20 percent of dementia cases.
Doctors advise that people can actively reduce their dementia risk by cutting alcohol intake, staying mentally and physically active, quitting smoking, and protecting their head and eyesight. As Dr. Stulberg concluded, "Our results suggest there may be an opportunity to help people reduce their dementia risk factors now, thereby reducing risks among people with lower incomes."
