“Negative Wealth Shock and Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Middle-Aged and Older US Adults”

“Negative Wealth Shock and Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Middle-Aged and Older US Adults,” by Liulu Pan, Bin Gao, Junpeng Zhu, et al., JAMA

“Question  Is an experience of negative wealth shock—a loss of 75% or more in total wealth over a 2-year period—associated with cognitive decline and dementia risks among middle-aged and older US adults?

Findings  In this cohort study of 8082 participants, those with negative wealth shock had faster decline in cognition and elevated risks of dementia when compared with those who had positive wealth without shock.

Meaning  These findings suggest that negative wealth shock is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia in middle-aged and older adults. …

Conclusions and Relevance  In this cohort study, negative wealth shock was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and elevated risks of dementia among middle-aged and older US adults, with modifications by age and ethnicity. These findings should be confirmed by further prospective and interventional studies.”

 

LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform:

Does wealth shock cause dementia or is it the other way around? That is, rapid asset decumulation shortly before LTC as so many studies show. The more important question is what happens to those decumulated assets? Are they spent down for private LTC? Or divested or sheltered to obtain Medicaid?