Looking older than you are has been linked to a greater risk of developing dementia in a new study.
Researchers in China found that wrinkles, particularly crow’s feet around the eyes, resulted in higher odds of cognitive impairment and dementia later in life.
They analysed data from more than 150,000 Britons and found that looking older than you are created a more than 60 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia.
In a second study, they found those with the most crow’s feet had over double the chance of measurable cognitive impairment than those with the fewest.
“We found that high perceived facial age was associated with high risk of cognitive impairment and incident dementia,” the team said in the study published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy.
They added facial aging may be an indicator of cognitive decline and dementia risk in older adults, which could be used to aid in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
In the study, participants answered questions about how old other people to perceive them to be, such as “do people say that you look younger than you are, older than you are, about your age, do not know, and prefer not to answer?”.
Participants also completed questionnaires designed to measure their cognitive function several years apart. The team of researchers then analysed the association between their “perceived age” and whether there had been a significant decline in their cognitive function.
They found those who answered that other people believe they look older had a 61 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those who reported looking younger.
“We observed a significant positive association of the difference between perceived facial age and chronologic age with odds of cognitive impairment,” the study authors wrote.
In a separate study included in the same paper, participants had their pictures taken and presented to a panel of 50 naïve assessors, who were asked: “How old do you think this person looks?”. Scientists then calculated the mean age estimate for each participant, which was used as their “perceived age”.
They were also then asked to complete a cognitive function questionnaire.
Researchers counted the total number of wrinkles above the cheeks and around the eyes. They then measured the prominence of the wrinkles by using the Line Wrinkle Contrast, which analyses how much they stand out from the skin.
They found the most intense crow’s feet wrinkles showed the strongest link with cognitive impairment. While cognitive decline does not always lead to dementia, it can be a warning sign of a disease that will eventually cause dementia.
“The facial wrinkle in the crow’s feet area was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Higher intensity of crow’s feet wrinkles and higher contrast of crow’s feet wrinkles were also significantly associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment.”
Results also revealed the association was more pronounced in people who had high BMI, spent more time outdoors in summer and had a higher Alzheimer’s disease polygenic risk score.
The team said the study showed potential for facial aging to be used as an early indicator for dementia in the future.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third of people with the condition do not have a diagnosis, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
