The frequency and impact of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease has led to the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of man hours of research into the subject. Most of the research has been focused on finding the exact cause of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, as well as how best to treat and eventually cure the debilitating and deadly diseases and conditions.

Recently I shared the exciting news of a new treatment that slows down the decline of Alzheimer’s that will be seeking FDA approval in 2020. If approved, this treatment could greatly impact the lives of thousands of victims and their families and/or caretakers.

Over the years, we’ve heard of a number of factors that were attributed to contributing to the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. One of the more popular culprits was aluminum cans used for beverages. I’ve seen reports that link some of the artificial sweeteners to contributing to Alzheimer’s. Since it was discovered that there is a certain type of plaque buildup in the brain that has been found to be a sign of Alzheimer’s, some blamed fatty diets or other poor eating habits.

But, could there be other factors that can determine one’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia?

According to a new study, the answer is yes.

Researchers at the University College London in the United Kingdom identified over 500 seniors that had undergone cognitive tests when they were 8 years old. They were given another cognitive test and the results somewhat surprised the researchers, as reported:

To what extent do factors such as education and socioeconomic position affect our thinking skills and memory over time? Not as much as one might think, a new study suggests…

The results of the study now appear in the journal Neurology. Its authors set out to compare the results of thinking and memory tests in people at 8 years old and 70 years old.

The researchers looked at 502 people who had all been born in the same week in 1946. They had all taken cognitive tests at age 8 and again at ages 69–71.

The researchers behind the new study were looking for factors that might serve to predict thinking and memory performance later in life, such as education level and socioeconomic status.

“Finding these predictors is important,” says study author Jonathan M. Schott, of University College London in the United Kingdom.

“If we can understand what influences an individual’s cognitive performance in later life, we can determine which aspects might be modifiable by education or lifestyle changes like exercise, diet, or sleep, which may, in turn, slow the development of cognitive decline.”

The participants took a number of tests that measured skills such as memory, language, orientation, and concentration. In one test, for example — which was similar to one they had taken as children — they had to look at geometric shapes and spot the missing piece out of five options.

The researchers looked at sex, childhood ability, education, and socioeconomic status, which they determined by the participants’ occupation at age 53.

They found that the ability to think as a child tallied with the scores they achieved over 60 years later. Those who performed in the top 25% as children, for example, were likely to hold their position in the top 25% at 70 years of age.

If this study is true, then one has to seriously consider the fact that the risk of developing dementia may be more genetic or a product of birth. Knowing this could make it easier or more difficult to try to treat and help these people. It could also provide an important link between early childhood and dementia later in life.