Negative Wealth Shock Linked to Accelerated Cognitive Decline

TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults, negative wealth shock is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and increased risks for dementia, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Network Open.

Liulu Pan, from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, and colleagues used data from the Health and Retirement Study conducted among U.S. adults older than 50 years to examine whether negative wealth shock is associated with cognitive decline and incident dementia. The final sample included 8,082 participants.

The researchers found that 1,441 participants developed incident dementia during a median follow-up of 14 years. Participants with negative wealth shock had accelerated cognitive decline (β coefficient, −0.014) and an increased risk for dementia (hazard ratio, 1.27) compared with those who had positive wealth without shock. Participants with asset poverty at baseline also had higher dementia risks (hazard ratio, 1.61). Associations were significant for White participants and those younger than 65 years (hazard ratios, 1.34 and 1.38, respectively), but not for those of other races and ethnicities or those aged 65 years or older.

"The negative wealth shock-associated dementia risks were more apparent among White participants and those who were younger," the authors write. "Further prospective and interventional studies are warranted to confirm our findings."

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