Early life socioeconomic circumstance and late life brain hyperintensities--a population based cohort study.

Abstract

ContextThere have been many reports confirming the association between lower childhood socioeconomic circumstance and cardiovascular disease but evidence for links with cerebrovascular disease is contradictory. Hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging are associated with vascular risk factors, cognitive decline, dementia and death. However, the relationship between childhood socioeconomic circumstance and these lesions is unclear.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that childhood socioeconomic circumstance is associated with late life hyperintensity burden and that neither adult socioeconomic circumstance nor change in socioeconomic circumstance during life influence this effect.DesignCohort study.SettingCommunity.Participants227 community dwelling members of the 1936 Aberdeen Birth Cohort aged 68 years, who were free from dementia.Main outcome measuresRelationship between early life socioeconomic circumstance (paternal occupation) and abundance of late life brain hyperintensities.ResultsWe find significant negative correlations between childhood socioeconomic circumstance and white matter hyperintensities (ρ = -0.18, PConclusionsChildhood socioeconomic circumstance predicts the burden of brain white matter hyperintensities aged 68 years. The mechanism underlying this effect is unknown, but may act through fetal and/or early life programming of cerebrovascular disease. Future work to understand this vulnerability will inform strategies to reduce dementia and stroke.