Gaby
A team of Japanese researchers found that climbing the social ladder can cut the risk of dementia by about 40 percent — but the climb needs to be steep, not gradual.
The biggest protective effect appeared in people born into low-income families with little social support who later became wealthy and reached high social status. The researchers call them “true social climbers.”
By contrast, people who stayed on the lower rungs, slid down from higher positions, or remained stuck in the middle had higher dementia risk than social climbers.
The team suggests social mobility may boost the brain’s resilience to stress. The Daily Mail reported the finding. Stress is considered a major risk factor for dementia.
In their paper, the scientists cite a Rutgers University study that found people who experienced stressful situations sometimes have better memory. That could reflect stressful experiences “training” the brain, making it stronger and more resistant to age-related change.
What Else Did the Scientists Discover?
The Japanese team was led by Professor Hiroyasu Iso, an epidemiologist and director of the Institute for Global Health Policy Research (iGHP). He said the more social support someone has, the lower their risk of dementia — a finding researchers have known for some time. For example, a French study found that lonely older adults are about 30 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with active social lives.
But few previous studies looked at whether changes in social status protect against dementia.
Professor Iso’s team used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), which tracked the living conditions of roughly 200,000 people aged 65 and older over six years. The researchers were primarily interested in factors that help people live healthier, longer lives.
The scientists categorized respondents by income, education level, and self-assessed social standing. The lowest income averaged around $7,217 per year or less, while the highest reached $38,690.
People on the lower rungs often had low body weight, were more likely to live alone, had more mental health problems, and were less likely to have a degree. They also reported less family support, fewer friends, and were more likely to live in rural areas.
Those who climbed upward were more educated, exercised more, socialized more often, lived in urban areas, and felt supported by family and friends.
The findings echo a recent University College London study that found people who rose on the social ladder had about a 50 percent lower chance of developing dementia than those who fell.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
