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Looking older than you are linked to greater risk of developing the disease Dementia In a new study.
Chinese researchers found that wrinkles, especially crow’s feet around the eyes, leading to a higher chance of cognitive impairment and Dementia in later life.
They analyzed data from more than 150,000 Britons and found that people who looked older than themselves were more than 60% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Dementia.
In a second study, they found that people with the most crow’s feet were more than twice as likely to have measurable cognitive impairment as those with the least crow’s feet.
“We found that high perceived facial age is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” the team said in the study published in the journal. Alzheimer’s research and treatment.
They add that facial aging may be an indicator of cognitive decline and dementia risk in older adults, which could be used to aid in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
In the study, participants answered questions about how old others thought they were, such as “Do people say you look younger than you are, are older than you are, don’t know, don’t want to answer about your age?”.
Participants also completed questionnaires designed to measure their cognitive function, several years apart. The team then analyzed the association between their “perceived age” and whether their cognitive function declined significantly.
They found that people who responded that others thought they looked older had a 61% higher risk of developing dementia compared with those who said they looked younger.
“We observed a significant positive association between the difference between perceived facial age and chronological age and the odds of cognitive impairment,” the study authors wrote.
In another study included in the same paper, participants took photos of themselves and showed them to a panel of 50 naive evaluators, who were asked: “How old do you think this person looks?”. The scientists then calculated each participant’s average age estimate, which was used as their “perceived age.”
They were then also asked to complete a cognitive function questionnaire.
The researchers counted the total number of wrinkles above the cheeks and around the eyes. They then analyzed how prominent the wrinkles were in the skin, using wrinkle contrast to measure the prominence of the wrinkles.
They found that the most severe crow’s feet were most strongly associated with cognitive impairment. While cognitive decline does not necessarily lead to dementia, it can be a warning sign A disease that ultimately leads to dementia.
“Wrinkles in the facial crow’s-feet region were significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Higher intensity of crow’s feet and higher crow’s-feet contrast were also significantly associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment.”
The results also showed that the association was stronger among people with a higher body mass index, more time spent outdoors in the summer, and higher polygenic risk scores for Alzheimer’s disease.
The team said the study showed facial aging could potentially be used as an early indicator of future dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease It is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently an estimated 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK, but more than a third are undiagnosed.