Overview

• Study published June 25 in Neurology links greater neighborhood disadvantage to elevated tau and YKL-40 levels among 334 participants over nine years.
• Each 10-percentile rise in neighborhood disadvantage corresponded to a 0.05 mg/L annual increase in blood CRP, a key inflammation marker.
• Participants underwent serial blood tests, brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid sampling at six intervals from baseline to nine years.
• Researchers suggest that healthcare providers consider neighborhood factors when designing inflammation-reducing interventions such as stress management and exercise.
• Most study participants were white, well-educated and from relatively less disadvantaged areas, limiting applicability to broader populations.