A new global study reveals that inequality accelerates brain aging, potentially exacerbating health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. The research, involving 5,306 participants from 15 countries, utilized advanced brain imaging techniques to measure brain age gaps – the difference between a brain’s biological age and a person’s chronological age.
Dr. Daniel Abasolo, co-author of the study and Head of the Centre for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Surrey, explained, “Our research shows that in countries where inequality is higher, people’s brains tend to age faster, especially in areas of the brain most affected by aging. We found that factors like socioeconomic inequality, air pollution, and the impact of diseases play a big role in this faster aging process, particularly in poorer countries.”
The study found that participants with dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease, exhibited the most significant brain age gaps. Importantly, the research highlighted sex differences in brain aging, with women in Latin American and Caribbean countries showing greater brain age gaps, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease. These differences were linked to biological sex and gender disparities in health and social conditions.
These findings have profound implications for understanding brain health disparities in the United States, where racial and ethnic minorities often face higher levels of socioeconomic inequality, exposure to environmental pollution, and barriers to healthcare access. By addressing these underlying factors, policymakers may be able to reduce brain age gaps and promote healthier aging across diverse populations, potentially narrowing the health gap between different racial and ethnic groups.
See: “Inequality Speeds Up Brain Aging, According to Global Study” (September 3, 2024)
