WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The members of LGBTQ+ community are at a higher risk of experiencing dementia, depression and strokes compared to straight, cisgender people, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.
'It is concerning to see the differences in brain health between sexual gender minority individuals and cisgender straight people,' said lead study author Dr. Shufan Huo to CNN.
'At the same time, I am glad that we can raise awareness for this often overlooked group. Medicine has traditionally focused on white, male patients, but nowadays we realize that this approach does not sufficiently address the needs of our diverse population.'
The study involved over 393,000 adult candidates, who were enrolled in the U.S.-based All of Us Research Program between May 2017 and June 2022. Among the total candidates, around 10 percent belonged to LGBTQ+ community, of this 97 percent identified as a heterosexual and 11 percent as a gender minority.
The scientists identified a 14 percent higher risk of dementia, and 27 percent higher risk of depression, across the members of LGBTQ+ community. They also an elevated risk of stroke among transgender women-by 68 percent.
'The causes for impaired brain health in the sexual and gender minority population could be a complex interplay of many factors,' said Huo. 'Since we did not investigate the causes in our study, we can only reported observed associations.'
Researchers also noted that LGBTQ+ members were less likely than to have cardiovascular problems but more likely to have smoking issues.
'We hope that with better knowledge of the specific health challenges of the SGM population, we can increase awareness for those, both in the treating physicians, as well as the research community,' Huo concluded.
'We furthermore hope to inspire more research exploring the causes for the observed differences in brain health, that could be used to design interventions.'
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