Dementia, Depression, Strokes: LGTBQ+ More at Risk
Neurology today.The study found that, overall, queer people were 15 percent more likely to develop these negative brain outcomes, than people who identified as heterosexual and with the gender they were assigned at birth."Our study found that people belonging to sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups are at increased risk of adverse brain health outcomes, including dementia and late-life depression compared to cisgender straight people," first author Shufan Huo of Yale School of Medicine told Newsweek."These differences persisted across several subgroups: sexual minority persons assigned male at birth and transgender women are particularly vulnerable for late-life depression."Sexual minority persons assigned female at birth and gender diverse persons are particularly vulnerable to dementia.
The risk for stroke is only increased in transgender women."The scientists identified a 14 percent higher risk of dementia, and 27 percent higher risk of depression, across all categories of the LGBTQ+ umbrella, but stroke risk was only found to be elevated among transgender women—by 68 percent.They said the latter might be because of gender-affirming hormone therapy, and the effect that extra estrogen might have on the brains of transwomen.But the study investigated associations between LGBTQ+ individuals and negative brain outcomes—not the causes behind these trends.However, it did propose a few reasons why queer people might be more likely to experience dementia and depression, noting that depressive symptoms and psychiatric distress are risk factors for dementia, so the two might be interlinked.They suggested that LGBTQ+ people might face discrimination in the healthcare system, leading to their health needs going unmet—or they may develop depression due to discrimination in the wider world."The causes for impaired brain health in the SGM population could be a complex interplay of many factors," said Huo.
