Being gay, bisexual or transgender is linked to a higher risk of dementia, top psychologists say

Research shows that LGBTQ+ people are at greater risk of dementia and depression than their heterosexual peers.

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that the group had a 15 percent higher risk of overall brain health problems later in life.

These included a 14 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia and a 27 percent higher risk of depression later in life.

The article attributed the cause to “several factors,” ranging from psychosocial factors such as stress to physical harm from violence, gender-affirming hormones and difficulties in accessing health care.

Research shows that stress can cause neuroinflammation and increase the risk of protein clumps forming in the brain, a precursor to conditions such as dementia.

It was also reported that people in the group were more likely to smoke or abuse substances than their heterosexual peers, which may increase the risk of these conditions.

The graph above shows the % increased risk of dementia and depression in later life among LGBTQ+ adults compared to their heterosexual peers.

Depression in later life is often thought to be a precursor to dementia, with many studies suggesting it may be a response to cognitive deficits.

Dr Shufan Huo, the neurologist who led the study, said: ‘In a world where there is increasing recognition of the importance of equitable healthcare, it remains concerning how little is known about the health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ people.

“Our research focused on this group, which has historically been underrepresented in neurological research, and we found that they are at increased risk of negatively impacting their brain health.”

The researchers said their study did not prove that sexuality or gender differences caused the problems, but found a link that was likely caused by other factors.

It is the latest study to expose the inequalities LGBTQ+ people face, after another study found lesbians die 20 percent earlier than their peers.

Researchers have previously pointed to alcohol abuse as a cause of this disparity, estimating that about 25 percent of LGBTQ+ people have an alcohol problem, compared to five to 10 percent of the general population.

They have also highlighted obesity rates, with studies showing that lesbian women are 41 percent more likely to be obese than their heterosexual peers. Studies suggest that gay and bisexual men are less likely to be obese than their heterosexual peers.

Researchers suspect that alcohol abuse may cause brain cells to die and organs to shrink, increasing the risk of neurological disorders.

Obesity can increase the risk of damage to blood vessels, including those in the brain. This can increase the risk of dementia.

The researchers found that bisexual women had the shortest life expectancy, dying 37 percent earlier than heterosexual women, followed by lesbian women, who died 20 percent earlier. Queer women (including both bisexual and lesbian women) died an average of 26 percent earlier than heterosexual women.

An estimated 5.6 percent of all Americans identified as LGBTQ in 2020

According to the British Alzheimer’s Society, it can also overactivate the immune system, which can lead to brain damage.

In the new study, published in Neurologyresearchers analyzed data from 393,000 people in the All of Us dataset, a US medical records dataset.

Adults were on average about 51 years old and had enrolled for five years, from May 2017 through June 2022.

Of these, 39,000 were LGBTQ+, of which 15,700 were bisexual (mainly women), 9,300 were gay, 5,000 were lesbian and 4,000 belonged to a gender minority group.

There were also 8,400 people who said they had another category. Some people were included in more than one category.

In the group, 21,000 people were diagnosed with a neurological disorder.

These included 11,500 people with late-life depression, 6,600 people with a stroke and 2,933 cases of dementia.

After taking into account factors such as age, gender at birth, ethnicity and heart disease, they found that LGBT people were at higher risk for these complications.

They also found that transgender people had a 68 percent higher risk of stroke compared to heterosexual and cisgender people.

Limitations of the study include that it did not examine the causes of the inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ people.

Also, the role of gender-affirming hormone therapy in increasing the risks of these conditions was not examined in detail.

Dr Huo added: ‘Our findings highlight the need for further research focusing on the healthcare disparities faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

‘Possible reasons for these differences may include discrimination, stress, access to health care, and policy and legal factors.’