A Striking Link between Education and HealthCare: Chances of Dementia Diminish

Of all the reasons to further one's education - career promotions, increased salary, accomplishing goals, and gaining knowledge - none are as innate as the link recently discovered between education and dementia.  According to a report released in late July, multiple studies over the past decade have shown that the more time one spends in formal education, the lower the threat of dementia.  Reduced cognitive function coupled with a diminished capacity to think critically is related to developing dementia, and it is already recognized that dementia is less likely in individuals who've been educated longer. A joint team of American and Finnish researchers have taken this long-known fact even further:  they found that education actually seems to make the brain "resistant" to dementia, the mental deterioration experienced by aging adults often associated with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers examined the brains of over 850 corpses.  Before their deaths, the participants completed surveys on their education levels.  Most interestingly, research shows that more formal education enables people to better cope with the brain changes that cause dementia.  In nearly all of the corpses, the signs of dementia were present in the brain, but those individuals who were better educated were better able in life to recompense with the physical signs of dementia.  In other words, "[E]ducation in early life appears to enable some people to cope with a lot of changes in their brain before showing dementia symptoms," says Dr. Hannah Keage of Cambridge University.  In fact, for every year of education, there was an 11% decrease in chance of developing dementia.

While the link between education and a resistance to dementia is clear, scientists are unsure what exactly makes a more in-depth educational journey good for human beings.  This study raises additional questions about the relationship between formal education and how the body works.  The researchers offered a couple of suggestions: those who study more may have larger brains that help them adapt to changes in later life; educated people are often better able to cope with stress and understand their health risks.  Either way, the message is clear: further your education.

Of significance, this report gives another strong reason to invest the time, money, and energy into pursuing formal education.  Dementia typically happens late in life, but the changes in the brain that cause it begin much earlier.  As developing countries make longer periods of education compulsory and as those in industrialized countries continue to pursue advanced degrees, the epidemic of dementia may eventually lessen.  Educated individuals contribute to society through their intellectual capacity, and those who are better educated tend to fall into higher socio-economic brackets and exhibit overall healthier lifestyles.  With news that education can also contribute to the well-being of physiological processes, education can be taken as a positive influence on one's whole lifespan.

Photo Credit: Derrick Tyson