Young adults who have high levels of inflammation have lower cognitive abilities in their forties.
- High inflammation in young adults is linked to poorer performance on tests of processing speed and memory in midlife.
- 21% and 19% of people with moderate and high levels of inflammation at age 20, respectively, had poor cognitive test scores later.
- The lead author points out that there are ways to combat chronic inflammation in the body.
Several studies have shown that inflammation is strongly associated with many health disorders such as obesity, chronic diseases and stress or even harmful habits (smoking, physical inactivity, etc.).
It seems that this immune system response has long-term cognitive consequences. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have shown that having high levels of inflammation in your 20s is linked to poorer performance on tests of processing speed and memory in your 40s.
A link between chronic inflammation and poorer cognition
As part of this study published in Neurology On July 3, researchers followed 2,364 adults who were between the ages of 18 and 30 at baseline. Their levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed four times over an 18-year period. They also took cognitive tests five years after the last CRP measurement, by which time most participants were in their 40s and 50s.
Results: Twenty-one percent of those with moderate inflammation at age 20 and 19 percent of those with high levels performed poorly on tests of processing speed and memory nearly 20 years later. By comparison, the proportion was 10 percent in the group with low inflammation.
Researchers also linked higher rates of inflammation to physical inactivity, higher BMI and current smoking.
Brain aging: inflammation can be prevented
“Inflammation plays an important role in cognitive aging and can begin in early adulthood”explains lead author Dr. Kristine Yaffe of UCSF.There is probably a direct and indirect effect of inflammation on cognition.”
The scientist also uses her work to remind us that a chronic inflammatory reaction, and by domino effect its complications, are not inevitable. “He There are ways to reduce inflammation – such as increasing physical activity and quitting smoking – which could be promising avenues for prevention”says the expert in a communicated.