FRIDAY, Nov. 1, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Folks with more money and better education are at less risk for developing dementia as they grow older, a new study shows.

People with advantaged backgrounds are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, and to progress from there to dementia, researchers found.

They also have a better chance of fending off mild cognitive impairment and returning to healthy brain function, according to the study published Nov. 1 in the journal Scientific Reports.

“Our study 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 investigator Dorina Cadar, an honorary senior research fellow in dementia with the University College London’s (UCL) Department of Behavioral Science and Health.

For the study, researchers followed more than 8,400 adults 50 and older for more than a decade, to examine how wealth and education is associated with age-related decline in brain function.

They found that aging folks with a college education are 43% less likely to have mild cognitive impairment, results showed.

Further, being in the wealthiest third of the population is linked with a 26% lower risk of advancing from mild cognitive impairment into full-blown dementia, researcher said.

Results also showed that advantaged people are more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment and regain their wits.

Wealthy people were 56% more likely to shake off MCI, while those with a college degree were 81% more likely, results show.

“This potential recovery is critical for enhancing the quality of life in later years,” Cadar said in an UCL news release.

“Our findings highlight the potential protective power of financial stability and access to resources in promoting brain health and cognitive resilience, underscoring the importance of social policies that support mental and cognitive wellbeing across all income levels,” Cadar concluded.

However, researchers couldn’t say exactly why wealth and education might help brain health.

“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,” said lead researcher Aswathikutty Gireesh, a doctoral candidate with the University College London.

“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,” Gireesh added. “These resources could also offer opportunities to stabilize or improve cognitive function, especially when cognitive impairment is detected early.”

More information

Harvard Medical School has more on staving off mild cognitive impairment.

SOURCE: University College London, news release, Nov. 1, 2024

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