Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Scientists from the University of Cambridge have uncovered why residing in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods may be associated with a higher risk of developing dementia.
Their study that was published recently, reveals that living in such areas is linked to damage in the brain’s blood vessels—which can impair cognitive function—as well as poorer management of lifestyle factors known to increase dementia risk.
Dementia disproportionately impacts individuals from deprived neighborhoods. Individuals residing in these communities tend to experience more cognitive decline over their lifetimes and are at an elevated risk of dementia, even when taking into consideration their personal socioeconomic status. Studies from prior occasions have also demonstrated that neighborhood deprivation correlates with differences in brain structure and more signs of brain tissue damage.
To look into this connection further, the team evaluated data from 585 healthy adults aged 40 to 59 in the UK and Ireland, who were part of the PREVENT-Dementia program. The full findings are detailed in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The study analyzed a range of data, including neighbourhood deprivation based on postcodes, cognitive abilities evaluated through various tests, lifestyle risk factors that can be modified, and MRI scans of the brain to detect damage to small blood vessels, which are essential for supplying oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue.
The researchers observed a strong association between living in disadvantaged areas and poorer management of lifestyle factors known to increase dementia risk. Specifically, individuals in neighbourhoods with high unemployment, low income, and limited education or training opportunities were more likely to experience disrupted sleep, obesity, high blood pressure, and reduced physical activity.
Interestingly, residents of deprived areas tended to drink less alcohol compared with those in more affluent neighbourhoods, despite alcohol being another recognized risk factor for dementia.
The study also revealed a notable connection between cognitive performance and neighbourhood deprivation—particularly in areas with substandard housing, poor environmental conditions, and higher crime rates. These factors most strongly affected individuals’ speed of information processing, spatial awareness, and attention.
One potential explanation is the team’s finding that living in deprived areas was linked to damage in the brain’s small blood vessels, which can impair cognitive function. Since modifiable lifestyle habits contribute to such vascular damage, the impact of neighbourhood deprivation on brain function—and consequently on cognitive test performance—may largely result from lifestyle and vascular health factors.
The first author Dr Audrey Low, of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, indicated that where an individual resides can impact their brain health as soon as midlife and it does not do this directly, however by making it harder for them to get involved in positive lifestyle behaviours.
She further pointed out that it means that individuals residing in these places may face more difficulties in receiving quality sleep and exercise, and in the management of blood pressure and obesity. Dr Low further indicated that this may then result in the health of blood vessels in the brain, bringing about poorer cognition.
“These lifestyle factors are no doubt influenced by both individual circumstances and the external environment in which they live. But importantly, the links we found were independent of educational attainment. So, even a person who has gone on to further or higher education and has a reasonably paid job may be better or worse at managing their lifestyle depending on where they live, perhaps due to better access to affordable healthy food options and safer recreational spaces.”
The scientists emphasise that their findings show dementia risk is shaped not only by personal behaviours but also by environmental conditions. Therefore, lowering the risk of dementia will require tackling the broader social factors that influence brain health.
