"Poor Seniors May Be More Vulnerable To Dementia" - Steven Reinberg
Being poor later in life may boost the risk of dementia by 50 percent, new research suggests. Samuel Gandy, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and psychiatry and associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said it’s possible that one sign of dementia is losing control over your finances. “Poor financial management may be an early sign of dementia, such that financial resources are depleted later in life,” he suggested. "This may also be a manifestation of executive thinking dysfunction, such as paying bills multiple times, or poor judgment and vulnerability to scam artists," Dr. Gandy said. Dr. Gandy also agreed that financial status may be stand-in for a poorly managed diet and lifestyle, both of which are linked to the risk for dementia. The risk of dementia was 50 percent higher among the poorest, compared with the richest people, the researchers found. This finding was independent of level of education, amount of deprivation and overall health factors.
- Samuel Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor, Neurology, Psychiatry, Associate Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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