A new study published in Nature Medicine reveals that environmental and social factors can significantly impact the biological age of the brain, with potential implications for racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. Researchers from the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin analyzed data from over 5,000 participants across 15 countries, including the US, to develop advanced measures of brain aging.
The study found that populations from countries with greater inequalities generally exhibited older brain ages, particularly in regions vulnerable to aging. Structural socioeconomic inequality, air pollution, and the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases were identified as significant predictors of increased brain age gaps, especially in more disadvantaged countries.
While the study did not specifically focus on racial or ethnic disparities in the US, its findings on the impact of social and environmental factors on brain health are relevant to understanding health inequalities among different racial and ethnic groups. The research suggests that addressing issues such as socioeconomic inequality and environmental pollution could help reduce brain age gaps and promote healthier aging across populations.
The study also highlighted sex differences in brain aging, with women in Latin American 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.
Professor Agustin Ibanez, the study’s lead author, emphasized that brain age is influenced not just by years but also by where and how people live. This research underscores the importance of considering environmental and social factors in brain health research and public health policies aimed at reducing health disparities.
See “Research reveals environmental and disease factors can speed up the brain’s biological age” (August 26, 2024)
