Higher-level Occupations May Increase Survival in Patients with Common Form of Dementia

New research conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that former “high-level” professionals appeared to have a longer survival rate when faced with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) compared to those with a background in service or manufacturing roles. The study, published in the journal Neurology, provides autopsy-report analyses of those suffering from FTD and Alzheimer’s disease. Results showed that subjects with a professional career such as an executive, doctor or lawyer displayed an average survival rate of nine years following diagnosis, while those who were unemployed or performed physical labor averaged only six years. Researchers noted that education level had no visible impact on survival rates, rather it was the ultimate career type that appeared to impact the durability of the brain under neurodegenerative duress. “These results provide support for the protective effects of occupation in FTD,” said the author of the study. “There may be other factors at work here such socioeconomic factors tied to occupational status that contributes to the longevity of this group. Further studies might also want to expand the sample size and occupations characterized, as ours left no room for occupations such as “homemaker” or those outside traditional lines of work.” To learn more about this study, click here.