Exposures and conditions prior to age 16 are associated with incidence of dementia status among adults in the United States Health and Retirement Study.

ABSTRACT: BackgroundDementia and cognitive impairment are prevalent conditions, and susceptibility likely begins years before symptoms. Early life has not been comprehensively tested for potential risk factors for dementia.ObjectiveTo explore the associations between childhood conditions and exposures and cognitive impairment in adulthood.MethodsIn the US Health and Retirement Study (normal baseline cognition; n = 16,509; 2008-2018 waves), 31 exposures before age 16 were retrospectively assessed with ten-year incident cognitive status (dementia, impaired, normal). Using parallel modified Poisson models, each exposure was tested with incident cognition, adjusting for sex, baseline age, follow-up, race/ethnicity, personal/parental education.ResultsAmong the analytic sample, participants were mean 61 y

SUBMITTER: Cockell S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12687412 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature