Income And Social Disparities Found To Influence Dementia Risk Factors

People pinch little incomes and group from group and taste historically underrepresented groups successful objective studies are much apt to person modifiable consequence factors for dementia, factors that could beryllium changed to little their risk, according to a study published November 12, 2025, successful Neurology®, nan aesculapian diary of nan American Academy of Neurology. While nan study recovered associations crossed aggregate consequence factors, it does not beryllium that income, title aliases ethnicity origin an summation successful dementia consequence factors.

"Our findings supply caller penetration into really group surviving beneath nan poorness statement and those from historically under-resourced groups whitethorn carnivore a higher load of galore modifiable dementia consequence factors," said study writer Eric L. Stulberg, MD, MPH, of nan Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College and a personnel of nan American Academy of Neurology. "By identifying which consequence factors are astir prevalent successful group who person a higher consequence for dementia, we tin amended target imaginable prevention-whether that intends improving entree to imagination care, supporting societal connection, aliases addressing conditions for illustration glucosuria and precocious humor pressure."

The study included much than 5,000 people. Participants were assessed for 13 dementia consequence factors: debased education, intoxicant use, obesity, precocious LDL cholesterol, traumatic encephalon injury, untreated proceeding loss, imagination loss, diabetes, untreated precocious humor pressure, smoking, depression, beingness inactivity and societal isolation.

Analyses besides accounted for age, sex, and title and ethnicity. Stulberg noted that title and ethnicity are socially based constructs and not biologic variables.

Researchers divided participants into six income groups. Those successful nan lowest group had incomes beneath nan national poorness level. Those successful nan highest group had incomes much than 5 times nan national poorness level.

For each income group, researchers wished nan percent of group who had each consequence facet and nan percent of dementia cases that could theoretically beryllium prevented aliases delayed if those consequence factors were eliminated.

Researchers recovered higher incomes were associated pinch little prevalence of each dementia consequence facet isolated from obesity, precocious cholesterin and traumatic encephalon injury. With each measurement up successful income class representing a 100% higher income supra nan poorness level, group were 9% little apt to person an further consequence facet successful mediate age. 

In nan lowest group pinch incomes beneath nan poorness level, imagination nonaccomplishment and societal isolation stood out. Researchers recovered 21% of dementia cases could perchance beryllium mitigated if imagination nonaccomplishment were addressed, and 20% of cases for societal isolation.

Stulberg said, "While our results are exploratory and do not show origin and effect, improving entree to imagination attraction and reducing societal isolation among older adults could perchance person a awesome effect successful those surviving beneath nan poorness level."

After adjusting for income, respective consequence factors still showed stronger associations among historically underrepresented groups successful objective studies including Black Americans, Mexican Americans and non-Mexican Hispanic Americans, erstwhile compared to achromatic Americans. Those consequence factors included diabetes, beingness inactivity, obesity and imagination loss.

"Our results propose location whitethorn beryllium an opportunity to thief group trim their dementia consequence factors now, thereby reducing risks among group pinch little incomes and historically underrepresented populations successful objective studies, wherever our study suggests galore consequence factors are much prevalent," Stulberg said. "It is breathtaking to spot that moreover late-life consequence factors whitethorn beryllium targets for interventions. We dream that early studies measure if targeting these late-life consequence factors whitethorn output benefits, peculiarly for group who are surviving beneath nan poorness level."

A limitation of nan study was that it provided only a snapshot successful clip and did not travel group complete longer periods. In addition, immoderate accusation was reported by participants, and they whitethorn not person remembered aliases reported nan accusation accurately.