This is a story that I've seen several times in the news the past few days.
A recent study indicates that Alzheimer's disease progresses faster in people with higher education levels. The researchers studied 312 people for over 5 years and determined that the rate of decline in those with more education was .3 percent greater than those with lower levels of education.
When I first read about this, I thought the news reports had misplaced the decimal point. The .3% must be an overall average. For an individual, it would seem insignificant.
Let's take a look at this. The study came up with .3% difference. Being around mom and many different people with Alzheimer's, the declines in each one was different, sometimes radically so. .3% is stunningly small.
.3% of a year is a little over 1 day. That's nothing. Let's say an Alzheimer's
patient lives a nice long 15 years with the disease. .3% is only about 16.5 days. Slightly more than 2 weeks over a 15 year period. Not exactly anything to get worked up about.
The study made a connection between education levels and decline in only two measurable areas: speed of thought processes and memory. As usual, there are many other possible explanations and possible factors in the decline.
The more we can learn about Alzheimer's the better, and this study helps. But be careful with statistics and number crunching. I believe that on an individual basis, the effects from Alzheimer's will vary far more dramatically. I'm not convinced .3% change in an individual over a year is even measurable accurately.
Links:
Higher Education Levels Tied To Faster Alzheimer's Decline - MedpageToday.com
Alzheimer's Progresses Faster In Educated People (Update1) - Bloomberg.com
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