Lower social class throughout life linked to higher risk of cognitive impairment

decorative People in lower socioeconomic positions throughout their lives have a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment by the age of 50, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health , found that individuals who moved upward or downward in terms of their socioeconomic position were also at a higher risk of impairment compared to those who maintained a constant higher socioeconomic status. The associations remained true after accounting for education level and health behaviours such as smoking status and alcohol consumption. Lower socioeconomic status across the life course, the researchers noted, is associated with higher levels of stress and inflammation, which can have adverse effects on mental and cerebrovascular (conditions that affect blood flow to the brain) health, leading to cognitive impairment and dementia. The researchers used data from 6,590 participants of the National Child Development Study (NCDS), also known as the 1958 British Birth Cohort. The NCDS is a birth cohort study that follows the lives of 17,415 people born in England, Scotland and Wales in one particular week of March 1958. It investigates a wide range of topics, including social mobility, health, education, and employment.