Human study · Aging · 26 Oct 2026
An extra year of school lined up with fewer dementia diagnoses decades later
Source: EurekAlert
What the research found
On 26 October 2026, University of Southern California researchers described a study of the 1972 British reform that raised the school-leaving age from 15 to 16. The share staying until at least 16 rose by 14 percentage points. In UK Biobank records followed through age 65, people born just after the cutoff were less likely to have a dementia diagnosis, including among those with high genetic risk. This is a schooling comparison in existing health records. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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