Research news: The high-educated have better functioning and less cardiometabolic risk factors also in very old age.
The research conducted at the School of Health Sciences and the Gerontology Research Center in the University of Tampere found that the high-educated have better functioning and less cardiometabolic risk factors than people with low education. Educational differences in inflammatory biomarkers were not found.
This result is based on the Vitality 90+- Study in which 262 inhabitants in Tampere, aged 89 to 90 years, participated. The study aim was to examine the association of education with cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers and with functioning. In addition, it was assessed whether biomarkers mediate differences in functioning between the educational groups. Results showed that the high-educated had better functioning and less cardiometabolic risk factors. In part, educational differences in functioning were explained by the differences in risk factors.
Educational differences in inflammatory biomarkers were not found. This result may be explained by the fact that very old people suffer from conditions that cause chronic low inflammation.
If every participant suffers from a low-grade proinflammatory state, it may complicate the identification of differences between educational groups. The study population has also gone through mortality selection which is why biological profiles may be more similar than is seen in younger age groups.
Publication:
Linda Enroth, Jani Raitanen, Antti Hervonen, Terho Lehtimäki, Juulia Jylhävä, Mikko Hurme and Marja Jylhä. 2016. Cardiometabolic and Inflammatory Biomarkers as Mediators between Educational Attainment and Functioning at the Age of 90 Years. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci (71) 3, 412–419.
doi:10.1093/gerona/glv105
Further information: PhD student Linda Enroth, linda.enroth@uta.fi