Living in socially disadvantaged areas increases the risk of dementia.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that living in socially disadvantaged areas can directly affect brain health and increase the risk of dementia. As shown by a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia (A&D), housing conditions are linked to damage in the brain's small vessels and difficulties in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Researchers analyzed data from 585 middle-aged individuals from the UK and Ireland. It turned out that residents of areas with high unemployment, low incomes, and poor housing conditions are more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances, hypertension, obesity, and lack of physical activity—factors that increase the risk of cognitive disorders. At the same time, they more frequently exhibited signs of vascular changes in the brain that affect attention, information processing speed, and spatial perception.
The authors emphasize that even a high level of education and income does not compensate for the influence of the environment: access to healthy food, opportunities for sports, and neighborhood safety turn out to be decisive. Scientists urge that dementia prevention be viewed as a task not only for medicine but also for urban policy—from improving infrastructure to combating social inequality.
