Performance In Later Life Research Articles

Abstract 4126628: Worse Cardiac Structure and Function is Associated with Decline in Multiple Domains of Cognitive Function: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Cognitive impairment is cross-sectionally associated with worse cardiac structure/function. However, limited data exist regarding cardiac structure/function and longitudinal changes in cognitive function. Objective: Determine the association of cardiac structure and function with longitudinal changes in cognitive performance in late life. Methods: Among HF- and dementia-free participants in the community-based ARIC study who attended the 5th study visit (V5; 2011-2013), underwent protocol echocardiography, and completed a neurocognitive test battery at both V5 and study Visit 6 (V6; 2015-17), we assessed associations of cardiac structure and function measures with changes in both domain-specific and global cognitive scores between V5 and V6 using multivariable linear regression. Models were initially adjusted for demographics and education level, with additional models further adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and disease at both V5 and V6. The neuropsychological test battery consisted of 10 neuropsychological tests that covered 3 domains of cognitive function: memory, executive functioning, and language. Factor scores were constructed for each cognitive domain, and their average represented a global composite score. Results: Among 2,988 included participants, mean age was 74±5 years, 60% were female, 20% reported Black race, and mean LVEF was 66±6%. Over a mean of 4.9±0.6 years (the V5 to V6 interval), raw scores declined for all neuropsychological tests. In fully adjusted models, worse diastolic function (larger LAVi) and LV remodeling (greater LV mass index) were associated with decline in executive function. Lower LVEF was associated with decline in language function, while worse LV longitudinal strain – a more sensitive measure of systolic dysfunction – was associated with decline in executive function, language function, and global cognition performance (all p<0.05; Table). Conclusion: Subclinical LV remodeling and dysfunction is associated with greater declines in cognitive function over 5 years in late life. Differential associations were observed by cognitive domains, with executive function decline most uniformly associated with impairments in cardiac structure/function.

No evidence of early life resource pulse effects on age‐specific variation in survival, reproduction and body mass of female Siberian flying squirrels

Abstract Understanding the diversity and causes of senescence patterns in the wild remains a challenging task, in particular among fast‐living species for which senescence patterns have been poorly studied. Early life environmental conditions can shape senescence by influencing trade‐offs between early and late life performance (disposable soma theory) or individual fitness through lifelong positive effects (silver spoon effects). Using a 23‐year‐long monitoring dataset of two populations of Siberian flying squirrels (Pteromys volans L.) in western Finland, we analysed the occurrence, onset and rate of senescence in female survival, body mass and reproductive performance. We also examined how early life pulsed resources (tree masting during the year of birth) influence age‐specific variations in these traits. Our results indicate that survival senescence occurs after sexual maturity from 3 years of age. Females experiencing high resource availability at birth tended to survive better, but the age‐specific trend was not affected by early life resource conditions. Maternal body mass declined slightly with age, starting at 4 years, regardless of early resource conditions. Similarly, among reproductive traits, we showed late‐onset senescence in both litter size and annual reproductive probability, with no evidence supporting an effect of early life resources on these trends. We found no decline in juvenile body mass or in the juvenile size‐number trade‐off with maternal age. Our findings suggest that pulsed resources experienced at birth have a limited long‐lasting impact on the life‐history traits of this fast‐living rodent, with no significant effect on senescence patterns.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the effects of host-rumen microbiota interactions on growth performance in a goat model.

The growth rate of young ruminants has been associated with production performance in later life, with recent studies highlighting the importance of rumen microbes in supporting the health and growth of ruminants. However, the specific role of rumen epithelium bacteria and microbiota-host interactions in influencing the early life growth rate of ruminants remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the rumen fermentation pattern, microbiota characteristics, and global gene expression profiles of the rumen epithelium in 6-month-old goats with varying growth rates. Our results showed that goats with high average daily gain (HADG) exhibited higher rumen propionate concentrations. Goats with low average daily gain (LADG) had the higher relative abundances of rumen epithelium bacteria genera U29-B03 and Quinella, while exhibiting a lower relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae UCG-009. In the rumen fluid, the relative abundances of bacteria genus Alloprevotella were lower and Desulfovibrio were higher in LADG goats compared to HADG goats. Additionally, the relative abundance of fungal genus Symmetrospora was lower in LADG goats compared to HADG goats. Transcriptome analysis showed that 415 genes were differentially expressed between LADG and HADG goats, which were enriched in functions related to cell junction and cell adhesion, etc. Correlation analysis revealed that rumen epithelium bacteria genera UCG-005 and Candidatus Saccharimonas were negatively associated, while Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group and Oscillospiraceae NK4A214 group were positively associated with average daily gain (ADG) and genes related to barrier function. The rumen fluid bacteria genus Alloprevotella was positively correlated, while Desulfovibrio was negatively correlated with rumen propionate and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations, as well as genes related to barrier function and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) transport. In summary, our study reveals that the higher ruminal fermentation efficiency, improved rumen epithelial barrier functions, and enhanced SCFAs transport in HADG goats could be attributed to the rumen microbiota, particularly the rumen epithelium bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae NK4A214 group.

Placental Epigenome Impacts Fetal Development: Effects of Maternal Nutrients and Gut Microbiota.

Evidence is emerging on the role of maternal diet, gut microbiota, and other lifestyle factors in establishing lifelong health and disease, which are determined by transgenerationally inherited epigenetic modifications. Understanding epigenetic mechanisms may help identify novel biomarkers for gestation-related exposure, burden, or disease risk. Such biomarkers are essential for developing tools for the early detection of risk factors and exposure levels. It is necessary to establish an exposure threshold due to nutrient deficiencies or other environmental factors that can result in clinically relevant epigenetic alterations that modulate disease risks in the fetus. This narrative review summarizes the latest updates on the roles of maternal nutrients (n-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamins) and gut microbiota on the placental epigenome and its impacts on fetal brain development. This review unravels the potential roles of the functional epigenome for targeted intervention to ensure optimal fetal brain development and its performance in later life.

The Beneficial, Formative Role of Lifetime Exposures across Cognitive Domains in Barbados Using Data from the SABE Study.

This study tested the hypothesis that within older Barbadian adults, sex, education, and occupation type lessen age-related cognitive decline. The analyses used a cross-sectional data set from 1325 people collected in the 2006 SABE Study (Health, Well-being, and Aging). Cognition was assessed as scores in each subdomain of the Mini-Mental State Exam. The loss of a single point in each subdomain was predicted by sex, years of education, job type, and their interactions with age. Results demonstrated that age and protective factors affect each cognitive domain differently. High education combined with mentally complex employment helped maintain cognitive performance in later life. Beneficial lifetime exposures are additive, providing combined benefits. Findings provide insight into public policy aiming to minimize the number of adults with cognitive decline and dementia in Barbados and the Caribbean.

Unveiling the Social Life of SuperAgers: A Narrative Review of Social Profiles of Exceptional Cognitive Aging

SuperAging deserves special attention from researchers in the field of the psychology of aging, because it denotes the preservation of multiple cognitive abilities in very old age. Currently, very little is known about lifestyle factors that could be related to SuperAging. The main goal of the present narrative review was to bring together available evidence involving social factors related to SuperAging and to target avenues for future research. The review summarizes the findings of studies published between 2005 and 2022. Low social participation in midlife age and high social participation in older age were found to be related to SuperAging. In contrast, social network size and diversity did not differ between SuperAgers and cognitively normal older adults. The synthesis of the results indicates that having positive, close, high-quality relationships and a high frequency of social contact may be considered to be hypothetical predictors of superior cognitive performance in later life.

EARLY-LIFE SOCIOECONOMIC POSITION AND LATER-LIFE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING: A META-ANALYSIS

Abstract A life course perspective on cognitive aging suggests that experiences early in life may be linked to later performance on cognitive tests. A growing literature shows that childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is positively associated with later-life cognitive functioning. To identify the strength of this association and potential moderating variables, we used meta-analytic techniques to identify the magnitude of the association between early-life (aged 0-17) SEP and later-life (aged 50+) cognitive functioning. After systematically searching PsycINFO, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, 30 studies representing 39 samples and 223,381 participants met the inclusion criteria. Extracted data included participant and study design characteristics, construct operationalization and measures, and effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis revealed a significant correlation between childhood SEP and later-life cognitive functioning, whether measured as an overall effect size (r = .179, 95% CI = [.156, .201]), global performance (r = .206, 95% CI = [.157, .255]), verbal episodic memory (r = .160, 95% CI = [.132, .188]), verbal fluency (r = .203, 95% CI = [.168, .237]), or processing speed (r = .146 (95% CI = .108, .184]), but not inhibition (r = .146, 95% CI = [-.150, .418]). Subgroup analyses revealed that, in some domains, the correlation was weaker with an older mean sample age. Correlations did not vary by study design (i.e., prospective or retrospective) or journal impact factor. These results provide important evidence for the promotion of policies that buffer children from economic hardship, as one’s cognitive performance in later life begins far earlier than older adulthood.

Fear and avoidance of memory loss: associations with cognitive, psychological and lifestyle factors in mid‐ and later life

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are among the most feared conditions. Some level of fear can motivate healthy behaviors. However, intense fears can have the opposite effect, leading to avoidance behaviors such as withdrawal from cognitively or socially demanding activities. In this way, fears and avoidance behaviors have potential to influence modifiable ADRD risk. Here, we investigated if fear and avoidance are associated with cognitive, psychological and lifestyle factors in mid‐ and later life.MethodsParticipants were middle‐aged (n = 188, 40‐59 years, mean = 51.4 ± 5, 52.7% female) and older adults (n = 746, 60‐90 years, mean = 65 ± 7.2, 61.5% female). Fears and avoidance behaviors were measured using Fear and Avoidance of Memory Loss scale. Linear regression examined the contribution of fear and avoidance to cognitive, psychological and lifestyle factors. Mid‐life factors included cognition (COGNITO), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale) and lifestyle activities (Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire). Later life factors included cognition (MoCA) and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale). Models were adjusted for age, gender, education, ADRD family history and anxiety.ResultsMiddle‐aged and older women reported higher fear compared to men (ps < .028). Older individuals with a family history of ADRD also reported higher fear (p < .001). Avoidance behaviors were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance in later life (β = ‐0.10, p = .020), but not in mid‐life. Greater avoidance in mid‐life was associated with higher stress (β = .83, p = .001), loneliness (β = 1.22, p < .001) and depressive symptoms (β = 1.09, p < .001), and lower engagement in lifestyle activities (β = ‐0.19, p = .02). Avoidance was also associated with depressive symptoms in later life (β = .28, p < .001).ConclusionsAvoidance behaviors were associated with lower engagement in healthy lifestyle activities in mid‐life, worse cognitive performance in later life, and reduced psychological well‐being in both mid‐ and later life. While causation cannot be determined, it is likely that these factors interact recursively over time. Thus, targeting avoidance early on may be beneficial for ADRD risk reduction.

Individual Quality Drives Life History Variation in a Long-Lived Marine Predator.

AbstractIndividual quality and environmental conditions may mask or interact with energetic trade-offs in life history evolution. Deconstructing these sources of variation is especially difficult in long-lived species that are rarely observed on timescales long enough to disentangle these effects. Here, we investigated relative support for variation in female quality and costs of reproduction as factors shaping differences in life history trajectories using a 32-year dataset of repeated reproductive measurements from 273 marked, known-age female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). We defined individual reproductive investment using two traits, reproductive frequency (a female's probability of breeding) and provisioning performance (offspring weaning mass). Fitted hierarchical Bayesian models identified individual investment relative to conspecifics (over a female's entire life and in three age classes) and subsequently estimated how these investment metrics and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation are associated with longevity. Individual differences (i.e., quality) contributed a large portion of the variance in reproductive traits. Females that consistently invest well in their offspring relative to other females survive longer. The best-supported model estimated survival as a function of age class-specific provisioning performance, where late-life performance was particularly variable and had the greatest impact on survival, possibly indicating individual variation in senescence. There was no evidence to support a trade-off in reproductive performance and survival at the individual level. Overall, these results suggest that in gray seals, individual quality is a stronger driver in life history variation than individual strategies resulting from energetic trade-offs.

Trait-dependent associations between early- and late-life reproduction in a wild mammal.

Early- versus late-life trade-offs are a central prediction of life-history theory that are expected to shape the evolution of ageing. While ageing is widely observed in wild vertebrates, evidence that early-late trade-offs influence ageing rates remains limited. Vertebrate reproduction is a complex, multi-stage process, yet few studies have examined how different aspects of early-life reproductive allocation shape late-life performance and ageing. Here, we use longitudinal data from a 36-year study of wild Soay sheep to show that early-life reproduction predicts late-life reproductive performance in a trait-dependent manner. Females that started breeding earlier showed more rapid declines in annual breeding probability with age, consistent with a trade-off. However, age-related declines in offspring first-year survival and birth weight were not associated with early-life reproduction. Selective disappearance was evident in all three late-life reproductive measures, with longer-lived females having higher average performance. Our results provide mixed support for early-late reproductive trade-offs and show that the way early-life reproduction shapes late-life performance and ageing can differ among reproductive traits.

Differential Effects of ADHD Polygenic Risk on Cognitive Performance in Later Life

Objective: Understanding the association between polygenic risk for ADHD and cognition throughout aging has not been widely studied. This study aimed to determine whether ADHD risk influences cognitive performance among individuals at both young-old and middle-old age. Method: Participants from the Health and Retirement Study, a biennial survey of 20,000 Americans, were compared on executive function and delayed recall measures using regression analyses. Results: There was no significant effect of ADHD risk on memory at both age waves for African-ancestry (AA; n = 403) and European-ancestry (EA; n = 2,286). There was, however, a significant association between ADHD risk and performance on executive function for EA at middle-old age (p = .028), but not young-old age; no such association was observed for AA adults. Conclusion: This finding suggests that ADHD risk may differentially influence cognition among older adults throughout the aging process, with important implications for future research.

Measuring physical performance in later life: reliability of protocol variations for common performance-based mobility tests

Performance-based tests of mobility or physical function such as the Timed Up and Go (TUG), gait speed, chair-rise, and single-leg stance (SLS) are often administered using different protocols in aging populations, however, the reliability of their assessment protocols is not often considered. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliabilities of frequently used assessment protocols for the TUG, gait speed, chair-rise, and SLS in different age groups. We administered the following assessment protocols in an age-stratified (50-64, 65-74, 75+ years) sample of participants (N = 147) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA): TUG fast pace and TUG normal pace: TUG-cognitive counting backwards by ones and counting back by threes, gait speed with 3-m and 4-m course, chair-rise with arms crossed and allowing the use of arms, and SLS using preferred leg or both legs-on two occasions within 1week. We assessed the relative (intra-class correlation) and absolute reliability (standard error of measurement, SEM and minimal detectable change, MDC) for each protocol variation and provided recommendations based on relative reliability. For participants aged 50-64years, our results suggest better reliability for TUG fast-pace compared with normal-pace (ICC and 95% CI 0.70; 0.41-0.85 versus 0.38; 0.12-0.59). The reliability values for 3-m gait speed were potentially higher than for 4-m gait speed (ICC 0.75; 0.67-0.82 versus 0.64; 0.54-0.73) and values for chair-rise suggested better reliability allowing participants to use their arms than with arms crossed (ICC 0.79; 0.66-0.86 versus 0.64; 0.45-0.77) for participants overall. For participants aged 75+ years, ICCs for SLS with the preferred leg showed better reliability than for both legs (ICC = 0.62-0.79 versus 0.30-0.39). These reliability data and the recommendations can help guide the selection of the most appropriate performance-based test protocols for measuring mobility in middle-aged and older community-dwelling adults.

Ideal Mode of Auditory Stimulation in Preterm Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review.

The objective of this review was to find out the best mode of auditory stimulation for preterm neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. We also aimed to find out the different effects of different types of auditory stimulation in these neonates. Advanced neonatal care and technological advances in neonatal intensive care units have led to increased survival of preterm-born neonates, but this in turn leads to increased incidences of disabilities like cerebral palsy, visual impairment, delayed social development, etc. Early intervention is provided to facilitate further development and prevent delays in all domains. Auditory stimulation is proven to benefit these neonates to stabilize their vitals and improve their auditory performance in later life.Different modes of auditory stimulation have been studied worldwide, but none of the studies has presented the ideal mode of auditory stimulation for these preterm neonates. In this review, we have discussed the effects produced by different types of auditory stimulation and compared their pros and cons. For conducting a systematic review, a search strategy adopted by MEDLINE is used. A total of 78 articles published between 2012 and 2017, on the effects of auditory stimulation on preterm infants' performance were reviewed.Out of that, eight studies that met the inclusion criteria and focused on short-term and long-term effects were included in this systematic review. Search terms included preterm neonates, auditory stimulation, and early intervention. Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were included. Auditory stimulation by maternal sound provides physiological and autonomic stability, but the behavioral states of preterm neonates improved with auditory stimulation by music therapy with lullabies. Maternal singing during kangaroo care may be recommended for providing physiological stability.

The Associations of Loneliness and Social Support with Cognitive Impairment among Middle-Aged and Older Individuals with Diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with significant morbidity and mortality and it is associated with poor cognitive performance in later life. This study seeks to determine the relationship between social support and cognitive function among participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We used data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, including participants with T2DM aged 45 and older (n = 4821). We examined different aspects of perceived social support, measured as structural social support (e.g., marital status), functional social support (having a caregiver in case of sickness or disability), and loneliness. We examined cognitive functioning using a six-item screener. Our results indicate that adults who felt lonely for 5-7 days per week had almost double the odds of cognitive impairment compared to those who didn't feel lonely. These results suggest that among middle-aged and older individuals with T2DM, interventions targeting lonely adults and which aim to reduce loneliness may combat some of the risks of cognitive decline.

Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Cognitive Performance among European Adults Aged 50+: The Mediating Effects of Social Contacts and Depressive Symptoms.

Cognitive decline is a major public health concern worldwide and it is vital to identify and better understand effective population-based means to improve cognitive performance in old age. The current study set out to examine the links between accelerometer-based physical activity with cognitive performance in later life, as well the indirect pathways through one's social network contacts and depression. We used data from 855 participants aged 50 and above who took part in a cross-sectional accelerometer study as part of the Survey of Ageing, Retirement and Health (SHARE). Cognitive function was measured as an average score of fluency, immediate and delayed recall tests, social contacts were the average contact frequency with members of the social support network, and depression was the Euro-D summary score of depressive symptoms. A multiple mediation analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect associations between total physical activity (intensity gradient) and cognitive function, as well as the mediation of this association by social contacts and depressive symptoms. Intensity of physical activity was directly related to better cognitive performance (B = 0.170, p = 0.007). The association was partially mediated by social contacts (B = 0.022, 95% CI 0.005, 0.046) and depressive symptoms (B = 0.009, 95% CI 0.009, 0.025), such that total physical activity was linked to cognitive health via more frequent contacts with network members and low depressive symptoms. Practitioners might consider encouraging a physically active lifestyle that involves social interactions to support better cognitive aging and mental health.

Association between oral health markers and decline in muscle strength and physical performance in later life: longitudinal analyses of two prospective cohorts from the UK and the USA

Poor oral health could be associated with changes in musculoskeletal health over time. This aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between oral health and decline in physical function in later life. We did a prospective analysis of two cohorts of older adults (aged 70 years or older) including men from the British Regional Heart Study (BRHS; n=612), and men and women from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study (n=1572), followed up for about 8 years. Data were available for clinical or self-reported oral health measures, muscle (grip) strength, and physical performance (chair stand and gait speed). ANCOVA models were used to assess the association between oral health and follow-up physical function scores. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between oral health and decline in physical function over the follow-up period. In the BRHS, changes in oral health and physical function were also assessed. All models were adjusted for relevant sociodemographic, behavioural, and health-related factors. In the BRHS, complete tooth loss and difficulty eating were associated with weaker grip strength at follow-up, and periodontal status was associated with decline in gait speed. In the Health ABC Study, complete tooth loss, poor self-rated oral health, and the presence of one oral health problem were associated with slower gait speed at follow-up. In both studies, dry mouth was associated with declines in physical function. In the BRHS, deterioration of dentition (tooth loss) over the follow-up period was associated with decline in chair stand speed (adjusted odds ratio 2·34 [95% CI 1·20-4·46]), as was deterioration in difficulty eating (2·41 [1·04-5·60]). Oral health problems are associated with poorer physical function and greater decline in physical function in older adults, and could be an indicator of individuals at risk of reduced physical capacity and subsequent frailty and disability in later life. The Dunhill Medical Trust and the US National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Predation stress experienced as immature mites extends their lifespan

The early-life experience is important in modulating the late-life performance of individuals. It has been predicted that there were trade-offs between early-life fitness and late-life success. Most of the studies on senescence have focused on the trade-offs between the reproduction and lifespan, and the influences of diet, mating, and other factors. Because the negative, non-consumptive effects of predators could also modulate the behaviour and underlying mechanisms of the prey, this study aimed to examine the different effects of predator-induced stress experienced in the early life compared with later life of the prey. The prey (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) was exposed to predation stress from the predator (Neoseiulus cucumeris) during different periods of its life (immature, oviposition period, and post-oviposition period). The results showed that the predation stress experienced during immature stages delayed development by 7.3% and prolonged lifespan by 9.7%, while predation stress experienced in the adult stage (both oviposition and post-oviposition periods) decreased lifespans of T. putrescentiae (by 24.8% and 28.7%, respectively). Predation stress experienced during immature stages also reduced female fecundity by 7.3%, whereas that experienced during the oviposition period reduced fecundity of the prey by 50.7%. This study demonstrated for the first time lifespan extension by exposure to predation stress when young and highlighted the importance of early-life experience to aging and lifespan.

The Effect of Manipulated Prenatal Conditions on Growth, Survival, and Reproduction Throughout the Complete Life Course of a Precocial Bird

The quality of the environment individuals experience during development is commonly regarded as very influential on performance in later life. However, studies that have experimentally manipulated the early-life environment and subsequently measured individual performance in all components of fitness over the complete life course are scarce. In this study, we incubated fertile eggs of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) at substandard and standard incubation temperature, and monitored growth, survival, and reproduction throughout the complete life course. While embryonic development was slower and hatching success tended to be lower under substandard incubation temperature, the prenatal treatment had no effect on post-hatching growth, survival to sexual maturity, or age at first reproduction. In adulthood, body mass and investment in individual egg mass peaked at middle age, irrespective of the prenatal treatment. Individual reproduction rate declined soon after its onset, and was higher in females that lived longer. Yet, reproduction, and its senescence, were independent of the prenatal treatment. Similarly, adult survival over the complete lifespan was not affected. Hence, we did not find evidence for effects on performance beyond the developmental period that was manipulated. Our results suggest that effects of unfavorable developmental conditions on individual performance later in life could be negligible in some circumstances.

Race, Childhood Socioeconomic Status, and Region of Childhood Residence as Intersectional Life-Course Predictors of Cognitive Aging in the United States.

Background and ObjectivesRace, childhood socioeconomic status (cSES), and region of childhood residence are each associated with later-life cognition, but no studies have examined how the confluence of these factors influences later-life cognitive performance. Guided by intersectionality theory, we examined individuals’ social positionality across these dimensions as a predictor of cognitive performance in later life among non-Hispanic White (NHW) and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) older adults.Research Design and MethodsWe used data from the 2010–2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study with participants aged 65 and older in 2010. We employed growth curve modeling to estimate associations among race, cSES, and region of childhood residence, as well as their interactions, and cognitive performance at baseline and over time.ResultsIdentifying as NHB, residing in the South, and having lower cSES each were associated with poorer later-life cognition at baseline. Childhood residence in the South was an especially strong risk factor for poorer cognition among NHBs. Among NHWs, higher cSES was associated with better baseline cognitive performance, especially among those from the South. NHBs from the South demonstrated a small advantage of higher cSES, but regardless of cSES, NHBs from the South had lower levels of baseline cognitive scores compared to all other subgroups. We observed steeper declines in cognitive performance over the 6-year study period among participants who lived in the South as children.Discussion and ImplicationsOur findings suggest that intersectional social positions across race, cSES, and region of childhood residence primarily influence baseline cognition in later life. Results implicate the importance of attention to multiple life-course social positions in the context of racism within social policies and other initiatives to promote equity in later-life brain health.

Metabolic Syndrome and Objective Physical Performance Measures in Mid-to-Early Late Life Women: SWAN

Recent evidence shows that more complex clusters of chronic conditions are associated with poorer health outcomes. Less clear is the extent to which these clusters are associated with different types of disability (basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL, IADL) and functional mobility (FM)) over time. This was a longitudinal analysis using the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) (n = 6,179). Using latent class analysis, we determined the optimal clusters of chronic conditions, then assigned each person to a best-fit class. Next, we used mixed-effects models with repeated measures to examine the effects of group (best-fit class), time (years from baseline), and the group by time interaction on each of the outcomes in separate models over 4 years. We identified 5 chronic condition clusters: “multisystem morbidity” (13.9% of the sample), “diabetes” (39.5%), “osteoporosis” (24.9%), “cardio/stroke/cancer” (4.5%), and “minimal disease” (17.3%). Group by time interaction was not significant for any outcome. For ADL outcome, only time was significant (F3,16249 = 224.72, p < .001). For IADL, both group (F4,5403 = 6.62, p < .001) and time (F3,22622 = 3.87, p = .009) were significant. For FM, both group (F4,5920 = 2.96, p = .02) and time were significant (F3,16381 = 213.41, p < .001). We did not find evidence that any cluster experienced greater increases in disability over time, but all clusters containing multiple chronic conditions had risk of IADL and FM disability. Increased screening for IADL and FM disability could identify early disability and prevent decline.