A study published in JAMA Network Open on December 26 has revealed a concerning link between financial stress and cognitive health in older adults.
Conducted by Liulu Pan and colleagues from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, the research delved into how sudden negative changes in wealth, termed ‘negative wealth shock,’ affect the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, which focuses on U.S. adults over 50, the team analyzed the experiences of 8,082 participants.
Over a median follow-up period of 14 years, they observed that 1,441 participants developed dementia.
The findings were significant. Participants who experienced a negative wealth shock showed accelerated cognitive decline and a 27% increased risk of developing dementia compared to those who had stable, positive wealth without shock.
Furthermore, those who had asset poverty at the start of the study faced an even higher risk of dementia – a 61% increase compared to those with positive wealth.
The study also uncovered that the association between negative wealth shock and dementia risk varied across different demographic groups.
White participants and those under the age of 65 showed a more pronounced risk (hazard ratios of 1.34 and 1.38, respectively).
However, this correlation was not significant in participants of other races and ethnicities or those aged 65 and older.
These findings highlight the complex interplay between financial health and cognitive well-being in older adults. The stress and anxiety associated with a sudden loss of wealth seem to have a tangible impact on cognitive decline and the development of dementia.
The study specifically points out the vulnerability of certain groups, like younger seniors and White participants, to these effects.
The authors of the study call for more research, including prospective and interventional studies, to further understand and confirm these findings.
This research underscores the need for a holistic approach to aging, considering not only physical and mental health but also financial stability as key components of healthy aging.
It also suggests that measures to mitigate financial stress in older adults could play a crucial role in preserving cognitive health and preventing dementia.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about inflammation that may actually slow down cognitive decline in older people, and low vitamin D may speed up cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about common exercises that could protect against cognitive decline, and results showing that this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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