Cognitive function and employment history linked to long-term health risks

New research suggests that midlife work history and cognitive performance in later years are significant indicators of long-term brain health and physical risks.

A Columbia University study utilizing 16 years of data from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States found that employment patterns during a person’s 40s, 50s, and early 60s are linked to cognitive abilities in older age. For men, inconsistent employment was associated with a cognitive gap comparable to seven years of aging. Among women, unstable employment, early retirement, and extended periods outside the workforce were linked to poorer memory and executive function.

Separately, a Swedish study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicates that lower cognitive test scores in adults aged 60 to 69 may signal a higher risk of future stroke. The study, which followed nearly 5,000 adults, found that lower overall thinking ability was linked to an 86% higher stroke risk, while lower memory and information-processing speed scores were linked to 68% and 66% higher risks, respectively. This specific correlation between cognitive scores and stroke risk was not observed in participants aged 70 and older.