Study reveals higher inflammation in young adulthood linked to decreased cognitive performance in midlife.
Research from UC San Francisco suggests that young adults with elevated levels of inflammation, often stemming from factors like obesity, physical inactivity, chronic illness, stress, and smoking, may encounter diminished cognitive abilities in middle age.
Past studies have associated heightened inflammation in older adults with conditions like dementia; however, this recent study is among the first to establish a correlation between inflammation in early adulthood and compromised cognitive skills later in life.
Amber Bahorik, PhD, from the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, stated, “Long-term research indicates that changes in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can evolve over several decades. We aimed to investigate whether health and lifestyle choices in early adulthood could influence cognitive functions in midlife, thereby impacting dementia risk in later years.”
The study, published in Neurology on July 3, found that individuals with high inflammation levels in their youth displayed poorer performance in processing speed and memory tests during midlife compared to those with lower inflammation levels.
Even after adjustments for variables like age, physical activity, and cholesterol levels, disparities in processing speed persisted. The researchers further noted variations in executive functioning, encompassing aspects like working memory, problem-solving, and impulse control.
The investigation tracked 2,364 adults in the CARDIA study, designed to pinpoint early adulthood factors contributing to cardiovascular disease development decades later.
Participants, aged 18 to 30 at the study’s commencement, underwent four assessments over 18 years to measure the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP). Cognitive assessments occurred five years after the final CRP measurement when most subjects were in their forties or fifties.
Approximately half of the participants were female, with nearly equal representation of Black and white participants. Among them, 45% maintained low inflammation levels, while 16% showed moderate or escalating inflammation, and 39% exhibited higher levels.
Understanding the Relationship Between Inflammation and Health Hazards
The researchers additionally found associations between increased inflammation and factors such as physical inactivity, elevated BMI, and smoking.
Kristine Yaffe, MD, a UCSF professor of psychiatry, behavioral sciences, neurology, and epidemiology, emphasized, “Inflammation significantly influences cognitive aging and could initiate as early as young adulthood, directly and indirectly impacting cognition.”
Yaffe, part of a team that determined 30% of dementia risk is preventable, has recently explored links between disrupted sleep in midlife and cognitive decline, as well as the effectiveness of tailored health and lifestyle changes in preventing memory loss for older individuals at higher risk.
“Thankfully, strategies like increased physical activity and smoking cessation can reduce inflammation, offering potential avenues for prevention,” Yaffe recommended.
