PR97292

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Socioeconomic deprivation, including neighborhood disadvantages and persistent

low wages, are associated with higher dementia risk, lower cognitive

performance and faster memory decline, according to several studies reported

today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference(R) (AAIC(R)) 2022

(

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3608645-1&h=3881122162&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alz.org%2Faaic&a=Alzheimer%27s+Association+International+Conference

) in San Diego and virtually.

Socioeconomic status (SES) -- reflecting both social and economic measures of a

person's work experience, and of an individual's or family's economic access to

resources and social position — has been linked to both physical and

psychological health and well-being. Research examining its impact on cognition

is growing, and key findings presented at AAIC 2022 include:

    -- Individuals who experience high socioeconomic deprivation -- measured

       using income/wealth, unemployment rates, car/home ownership and

       household overcrowding -- are significantly more likely to develop

       dementia compared to individuals of better socioeconomic status, even

       at high genetic risk.

    -- Lower-quality neighborhood resources and difficulty paying for basic

       needs were associated with lower scores on cognitive tests among Black

       and Latino individuals.

    -- Higher parental socioeconomic status was associated with increased

       resilience to the negative effects of Alzheimer's marker ptau-181,

       better baseline executive function and slower cognitive decline in

       older age.

    -- Compared with workers earning higher wages, sustained low-wage

       earners experienced significantly faster memory decline in older age.

"It's vital we continue to study social determinants of health related to

cognition, including socioeconomic status, so we can implement public health

policies and create community environments that can improve the health and

well-being of all," said Matthew Baumgart, vice president of health policy at

the Alzheimer's Association.

At the recent Alzheimer's Association Promoting Diverse Perspectives:

Addressing Health Disparities Related to Alzheimer's and All Dementias (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3608645-1&h=2089435876&u=https%3A%2F%2Falz.org%2Fdiversity-health-disparity-conference-alzheimers-dementia%2Foverview.asp&a=Promoting+Diverse+Perspectives%3A+Addressing+Health+Disparities+Related+to+Alzheimer%27s+and+All+Dementias

) conference, researchers gathered to share knowledge and drive collaboration

on vital health equity issues, including social determinants of dementia risk

like socioeconomic status.

Socioeconomic deprivation associated with increased dementia risk

Researchers are beginning to understand that risk of cognitive impairment and

dementia are, to a significant degree, determined by the conditions in which

people are born, grow, live, work and age. To better understand how

socioeconomic conditions and genetic risk for developing dementia may interact,

Matthias Klee, a Ph.D. student in psychology at the University of Luxembourg,

and team, collaborated with researchers from universities of Exeter and Oxford

to examine data from 196,368 participants' records in the U.K. Biobank whose

genetic risk for developing dementia was assessed through risk scores.

With this sample, the researchers investigated the contribution of individual

socioeconomic deprivation -- such as low income and low wealth -- and

area-level socioeconomic deprivation -- such as employment rates and car/home

ownership -- to the risk of developing dementia, and compared it with genetic

risk for dementia.

Klee and team reported at AAIC 2022 that:

    -- Both individual socioeconomic and area-level socioeconomic deprivation

       contribute to risk of dementia; area-level socioeconomic deprivation

       was associated with increased risk of dementia for those in very

       disadvantaged neighborhoods.

    -- For participants with moderate or high genetic risk, greater area-level

       deprivation is associated with even higher risk for developing dementia,

       after adjusting for individual-level socioeconomic conditions.

    -- Analyses with imaging markers indicated that socioeconomic deprivation

       both on the individual and the area level were linked to higher burden

       of white-matter lesions, a marker indicating brain aging and damage.

"Our findings point to the importance of the conditions in which people live,

work and age for their risk of developing dementia, particularly those who are

already genetically more vulnerable," said Klee. "Both individual health

behaviors and non-influenceable living conditions are relevant to explain risk

of dementia, particularly for individuals with increased genetic vulnerability.

This knowledge opens new opportunities to reduce the number of people affected

by dementia not only through public health interventions but also by improving

socioeconomic conditions through policymaking."

Economic adversity and neighborhood disadvantage related to lower cognitive

testing scores

A large body of research has shown that SES can influence the risk of dementia

later in life. SES is often studied using years of education and income level

as general factors in health research; however, it is not yet understood how

subjective indicators, such as perceived neighborhood environment and access to

resources, might also play a role in cognitive health.

To understand this relationship better, Anthony Longoria, M.S., clinical

psychology doctoral candidate at University of Texas Southwestern, examined

perceptions of neighborhood physical environment and perceived SES alongside a

measure of cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores) in 3,858 diverse

individuals from the Dallas Heart Study.

The researchers found that lower quality neighborhood resources, poorer access

to food/heating and medical care, and exposure to violence were related to

lower scores on a commonly used test of cognitive function in Black and

Hispanic, but not White participants.

"This is important given that minority groups disproportionately experience

economic adversity and neighborhood disadvantage, in addition to being more

likely to be diagnosed with dementia and receive less timely care," said

Longoria.

Additional data analyses show perceived neighborhood disadvantage and economic

status also may affect white matter volume (WMV) and hyperintensities (WMH) in

the brain, both of which are associated with dementia risk and vascular

factors. Reported lower income and education were associated with higher WMH in

the overall sample, and lower trust, access to health care, income, and

education were significantly associated with lower cerebral WMV. "Violence" was

associated with more WMH in Black women, lower "trust" was associated with

lower WMV in Hispanic men, and lower "access to medical care" was associated

with lower WMV in White women.

"Scientists and policymakers should emphasize improving neighborhood resources

-- including safety, access to high-quality food, clean outdoor spaces and

health care when developing public health policies to help reduce community

risk of Alzheimer's and related dementias," said Longoria.

Parental socioeconomic status associated with reduced impact of Alzheimer's

pathology later in life

Little research to date has examined the impact of socioeconomic conditions on

cognitive resilience, including biological markers of neurodegeneration. To

study this, Jennifer Manly, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Columbia

University Irving Medical Center, and team, partnered with participants in a

population-representative intergenerational study in New York City to determine

whether parental socioeconomic status, as measured by years of education,

buffers the association with levels of plasma ptau-181 (a marker of brain aging

and Alzheimer's disease). They also studied whether there was an association

with changes in memory among middle-aged adults, and whether moderation of

Alzheimer's disease and related brain changes is similar across racialized and

ethnic groups.

As reported at AAIC 2022, Manly and team found that higher parental

socioeconomic status was associated with reduced impact of Alzheimer's marker

ptau-181 on memory, language and executive function in their children as they

age.

"Evidence from our multiethnic, intergenerational study suggests that early

life socioeconomic conditions may promote cognitive reserve against

Alzheimer's-related brain changes," said Manly. "These data show how structural

and policy-driven investments, such as access to high quality education, have

generational implications. Interventions that reduce childhood poverty could

narrow Alzheimer's-related disparities."

Low hourly wages associated with faster memory decline in older age

Research into the effects of lower income on health is rapidly expanding. To

study whether earning low hourly wages over a long period of time is associated

with memory decline, Katrina Kezios, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher at Columbia

University Mailman School of Public Health, and team, used data from a national

longitudinal study of American adults who were working for pay in midlife.

Kezios and team categorized study participants' history of low wages into those

who (a) never earned low wages, (b) intermittently earned low wages or (c)

always earned low wages, and then examined the relationship with memory decline

over 12 years.

The researchers found that, compared with workers never earning low wages,

sustained low-wage earners experienced significantly faster memory decline in

older age. They experienced approximately one excess year of cognitive aging

per 10-year period; in other words, the level of cognitive aging experienced

over a 10-year period by sustained low-wage earners would be what those who

never earned low wages experienced in 11 years.

"Our findings suggest that social policies that enhance the financial

well-being of low-wage workers, including increasing the minimum wage, may be

especially beneficial for cognitive health," said Kezios.

About the Alzheimer's Association International Conference(R) (AAIC(R))

The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world's

largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's

and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research

program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia

and fostering a vital, collegial research community.

AAIC 2022 home page: www.alz.org/aaic/　

AAIC 2022 newsroom: www.alz.org/aaic/pressroom.asp　

AAIC 2022 hashtag: #AAIC22

About the Alzheimer's Association(R)

The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization

dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the

way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global

research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality

care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other

dementia(R). Visit alz.org (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3608645-1&h=921560590&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alz.org%2F&a=alz.org

) or call 800.272.3900.

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SOURCE  Alzheimer's Association

CONTACT: Alzheimer's Association Media Line, +1 312.335.4078, media@alz.org;

AAIC 2022 Press Office, aaicmedia@alz.org