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Teens with low mental ability twice�as�likely to suffer ‘brain attacks’ in future
While taking good care of your physical health is crucial to prevent diseases in the later stages of life, the lack of ability to think as a teenager can still increase the risk of a deadly condition.
As the brain and body are still developing in children and teens, the factors they are exposed to play a significant role in their overall well-being in the future. A recent study found that teens who slept just one hour less as children were more likely to indulge in substance use.
Low mental ability affects teens’ health in the future
While the long-term impact of an unhealthy lifestyle is well-established, a new study sheds light on the dangers of poor mental ability among teens.
Researchers have found that children’s and adolescents’ ability to make reasonable choices and rational decisions directly impacts the condition of their brains by the time they turn 50.
1.7 million young Israelis were used as the subjects for the study. They were required to undergo an extensive evaluation that measured their ability to understand and carry out verbal instructions, mathematical ability, conceptual thinking, and more.
When the data from the study was compared with the Israeli national stroke database, it was found that participants who scored low on the assessment were 2.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke or brain attack by the age of 50.
Early intervention can mitigate the risk
Those with poorer mental ability as teens were also found to be more obese or overweight, less likely to have finished high school, and more likely to live in neighborhoods deprived socially and economically.
The researcher thus established that the chances of suffering from a stroke at later stages of life are higher without “risk factor intervention in early adulthood.”
The study notes: “Cognitive function may serve as a means of stratifying individuals at greater risk for stroke and for intervention via possible mediators such as health illiteracy, education, and health-related behaviors.”
“Provision of early social and health support for individuals with lower cognitive function might be essential for mitigating their elevated risk,” it further notes.
