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.