Education, occupation and wealth can influence dementia risk in people

A new study has found that not just genes, socio-economic factors such as education, occupation and wealth can also impact the likelihood of developing cognitive impairment or dementia in later life and whether a person is likely to recover.

By estimating the time spent in each cognitive state and the likelihood of transitions to neuro-cognitive disorders such as cognitive impairment and dementia, the researchers from University College London (UCL) were able to gain a comprehensive understanding of how socioeconomic factors impact the progression of a person’s disorder, as well as the duration spent within each cognitive state over time.

Lead author Aswathikutty Gireesh from UCL Epidemiology and Health Care said that it is possible that education and intellectually demanding jobs provide more mental stimulation and help to build a stronger brain reserve to help protect individuals against cognitive impairment and dementia.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights the critical role of wealth, education, and occupation not only in reducing the risk of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment to dementia but also in increasing the likelihood of reversing cognitive impairment to a healthy cognitive state, which is promising, said senior author Dr Dorina Cadar from UCL Department of Behavioural Science and Health and Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

The researchers tracked how people moved between various states: healthy, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. They also considered the possibility of reversals, where individuals improved from a mild cognitive impairment state to a healthy one.

The team found that people from more socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds were less likely to move from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment, or from mild cognitive impairment to dementia compared to those with primary education (no higher than secondary school), working in manual or routine occupations, and in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged third of the population.

For instance, having a post-secondary education level was linked with a 43 per cent lower chance of moving from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, being in the wealthiest third of the population was linked with a 26 per cent lower chance of shifting from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

Notably, these advantaged individuals were also more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment and return to a healthy cognitive state, with wealthy individuals being 56 per cent more likely and those with post-secondary education level or working in manual occupation being 81 per cent more likely to improve, compared to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.

“Additionally, people with higher education, more intellectually demanding jobs, and wealth have better access to healthcare and health-promoting resources such as a nutritious diet, exercise, and preventive care – all of which can support cognitive health,” said Gireesh.