Wealthy, educated professionals have lower dementia risk: study

Here’s yet another reason to get rich quick.

A new study finds that highly educated professionals in the wealthiest third of the population are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment and have that condition progress to dementia.

A college education was linked to a 43% lower chance of moving from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment, according to research published Friday in Scientific Reports.

Meanwhile, being in the wealthiest third of the population was associated with a 26% reduced chance of advancing from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

“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,” explained lead study author Aswathikutty Gireesh of University College London (UCL).

UCL researchers followed 8,442 UK middle-aged adults over a decade to see how socioeconomic factors influenced changes in cognitive status.

Participants completed a questionnaire about their education, occupation and wealth, and researchers ascertained their mental status via medical diagnoses, cognitive test results and self-reported symptoms.

They tracked how participants moved between various cognitive states — healthy, mild impairment and dementia — while also considering that brain function could improve with time.

Muckety-mucks were 56% more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment and return to a healthy cognitive state compared to people with little wealth.

Those who attended college were 81% more likely to better their brain.

“This potential recovery is critical for enhancing the quality of life in later years and reducing the long-term burden of cognitive impairment on healthcare systems, families, and society as a whole,” senior study author Dorina Cadar said.

The researchers are calling for policies that support mental and cognitive well-being across all income levels. They hope their work spurs additional research into how socioeconomic factors, particularly wealth, help protect against cognitive decline.

Nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia. Risk factors include lower levels of education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, tobacco use, obesity, depression, diabetes, excess alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, social isolation, vision loss, high cholesterol and physical inactivity.

A study out this week found that exercising just once or twice a week can lower dementia risk as well as frequent workouts.