Well, this is depressing.
A new study suggests there’s a link between being LGBTQ+ and experiencing poorer brain health when older. This includes a higher incidence of depression, dementia, and stroke.
The study was conducted by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. They looked at 393,000 individuals. The average age was 51. The results were published in the journal Neurology.
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From all those studied, 21,091 people had a neurological disease. Of those, 11,553 people had late-life depression, 6,605 people had strokes and 2,933 people had dementia.
Overall, the older queer participants were 15% more likely to experience one of these three conditions than their straight, cis counterparts. This included a 14% higher chance of dementia and a 27% higher incidence of later-life depression.
Chronic stress and the ways we tackle it
Disparities in health between gay and straight folk are not new. Previous studies have highlighted how members of the LGBTQ+ community are significantly more likely to experience stress and depression than their straight counterparts. This is linked to the discrimination they face and dealing with a range of issues related to homophobia.
In turn, LGBTQ+ are more likely to smoke and have alcohol or substance abuse issues, which in turn bring health problems. HIV also disproportionately impacts gay and trans people, which has also been linked to health issues later in life.
“In a world that increasingly recognizes the crucial role of equitable health care, it remains concerning how little is known about the health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ people,” said study author Dr Shufan Huo, at the Yale School of Medicine.
“Our study looked at this group, which has been historically underrepresented in neurological research, and found that they had an increased risk of adverse brain health outcomes.”
“Our findings underscore the need for further research focusing on the health care disparities affecting the LGBTQ+ community,” Huo continued. “Possible reasons for these disparities could include discrimination, stress, access to health care and policy and legal factors.”
Trans women 68% more likely to experience a stroke
Some of the health disparities observed were more pronounced for certain groups. For example, trans women showed a 68% greater incidence of stroke than cisgender people. The study did not explore why this might be. It sought only to identify if there were any such differences.
“These findings show that each group has distinct risk profiles, for example, because of differences in societal stigma,” Huo told CNN.
Huo also emphasized that being LGBTQ+ does not directly cause people to have strokes and dementia. It’s far more likely linked to chronic, long-term stress and anxiety (and the unhealthy things we do to tackle this).
Other studies have also found that queer people may be less likely to seek medical help , possibly as they’re wary of identifying as LGBTQ+ to doctors or discussing specific concerns.
“We cannot ignore the factors of the health care system itself,” Dr. Amir Ahuja, director of psychiatry at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, told CNN. “Numerous studies, including the (US Trans Survey), consistently show that SGM [sexual and gender minorities] populations are not always taken seriously by health care providers, and outright discrimination is common. This leads to patients not following up and tests not being done, and problems not being investigated, which can also lead to worse outcomes.”
Minimizing risk
Although some may find the study’s results dispiriting, there are things everyone can do to minimize problems later in life. Quit smoking, drink sensibly, eat healthily, exercise regularly, and do what you can to safeguard your mental health. Maintain meaningful relationships to help alleviate loneliness and isolation, and seek help or advice from medical professionals if you think something’s wrong.
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