Everyone wants to live in a nice, safe and tidy neighborhood. However, real estate prices in such locations are usually very high – that’s the price you need to pay for those luxury and comfort features. Scientists from Monash University found that people who live in more affluent areas face a lower risk of dementia than those who live in less wealthy neighborhoods.
Living in an affluent neighborhood may help reduce the risk of dementia. Image credit: Wpcpey via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scientists analyzed data of 4656 participants aged between 40 and 70 years. None of the participants had dementia. Data was collected in a time period between 2016 and 2020. As you possibly presume, researchers paid particular attention to the socioeconomic status of the area that participants lived in as well as their cognitive condition.
Scientists found that higher neighborhood-level socioeconomic status helped residents maintain a sharper memory and reduced their dementia risk. In other words, it seems like it is beneficial for your brain to age in a more affluent area. But why could that be?
While more than half of dementia cases are genetic, there are ways to delay the onset of this neurodegenerative condition. Generally speaking, taking good care of yourself is absolutely crucial for maintaining good physical and mental health for longer. And those wealthier neighborhoods offer those lifestyles with their higher-end market places, safe areas for running and exercising, active social communities.
Matthew Pase, lead author of the study, said: “With healthy lifestyle habits a key factor in reducing or delaying your risk of developing dementia, it is important for everyone to have access to local facilities such as gyms and public pools, green spaces and health care, but unfortunately that is not always the case”.
Scientists suggest that this information could be used to improve conditions in disadvantaged living areas. It is not possible to create affluent living for everyone, but public spaces could be improved to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Policy makers should also take care of the safety aspect, because stress also increases the risk of dementia. In order to formulate suggestions and understand the barriers for people of lower socioeconomic status to achieve a lower risk of dementia, scientists are going to perform new more detailed studies.
Dementia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It usually sets in at an older age, but as our populations are aging (especially in the West) dementia is becoming a larger and larger public health issue. Scientists estimate that up to 40 % of dementia cases may be preventable through lifestyle changes and proper healthcare. Physical exercise, a healthy diet and an active social life are crucial for maintaining a sharper mind for longer. And more affluent areas offer and encourage that kind of lifestyle.
Source: Monash University