@article {9940, title = {Selected social and lifestyle correlates of brain health markers: the Cross-Cohort Collaboration Consortium.}, journal = {Alzheimers Dement}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {2025 Apr}, pages = {e70148}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the associations of education level, marital status, and physical activity with dementia risk and brain MRI markers.

METHODS: Data from six community-based samples from the Cross-Cohort Collaboration Consortium were analyzed. Self-reported education level, marital status, and physical activity at age 60 to 75 years were harmonized. Subsamples of participants with brain MRI markers at time of exposure were selected. Associations with dementia risk and cross-sectional MRI markers were meta-analyzed.

RESULTS: Higher education level was associated with lower dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR]~=~0.65, 95\% confidence interval [CI]~=~0.59; 0.72~vs low level) but not significantly with brain MRI markers. Compared with being unmarried, being married was only associated with higher total brain and hippocampal volumes. Being physically active was associated with lower dementia risk (HR~=~0.73, 95\% CI~=~0.52; 1.04), as well as larger total brain volume and smaller white matter hyperintensity volume.

DISCUSSION: This study provides further evidence regarding the contribution of education level and physical activity to dementia resilience.

HIGHLIGHTS: Education level, marital status, and physical activity are thought to contribute to resilience against ADRD. We used random-effects meta-analysis to summarize results from six community-based samples from the CCC. In this cross-cohort meta-analysis, higher education level and being physically active were associated with lower risk of dementia. In cross-sectional analyses, being married was associated with larger TBV and HV, while being physically active was associated with larger TBV and lower WMHV.

}, keywords = {Aged, Brain, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Dementia, Educational Status, Exercise, Female, Humans, Life Style, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Marital Status, Middle Aged, Risk Factors}, issn = {1552-5279}, doi = {10.1002/alz.70148}, author = {Grasset, Leslie and Bis, Joshua C and Frenzel, Stefan and Kojis, Daniel and Simino, Jeannette and Yaqub, Amber and Beiser, Alexa and Berr, Claudine and Bressler, Jan and B{\"u}low, Robin and DeCarli, Charles S and Fohner, Alison E and Harrington, Laura B and Helmer, Catherine and Ikram, M Arfan and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Lopez, Oscar L and Longstreth, W T and Neitzel, Julia and Odden, Michelle C and Palta, Priya and Schmidt, Carsten O and Talluri, Rajesh and Vernooij, Meike W and V{\"o}lzke, Henry and Voortman, Trudy and Whalen, Quest and Wittfeld, Katharina and Grabe, Hans J and Mosley, Thomas H and Psaty, Bruce M and Wolters, Frank J and Seshadri, Sudha and Dufouil, Carole} }