By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
LGBTQ+ adults are at a 15 percent higher risk of composite brain health outcomes — including dementia, strokes, and late-life depression, according to a new study.
LGBTQ+ people are at a noticeably higher risk of "adverse brain health outcomes" in comparison to their straight and cisgender peers — and discrimination could be having an impact.
LGBTQ+ adults are at a 15 percent higher risk of composite brain health outcomes, including dementia, strokes, and late-life depression, according to a new study published in Neurology. Transgender women in particular were found to have higher odds of having strokes.
The study examined data from 393,041 participants with available information on sexual orientation and gender identity, of whom 39,632 (10 percent) identified as some form of LGBTQ+, with 38,528 (97 percent) belonging to a sexual minority and 4,431 (11 percent) to a gender minority.
The report found that LGBTQ+ "persons had higher odds of adverse brain health outcomes," and that "these results persisted across sexual and gender minorities separately." It concluded that "further research should explore structural causes of inequity to advance inclusive and diverse neurologic care."
“It is concerning to see the differences in brain health between sexual gender minority (SGM) individuals and cisgender straight people,” lead author of the study, Shufan Huo, told 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.”
Huo stressed that the findings do not indicate that simply being LGBTQ+ causes these outcomes. Instead, the trend is made possible by several factors, including discrimination, which can cause stress, depression, and anxiety. Social stigma can also lead to disparities in health care for LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly as they face restrictions on their care from state governments.
Previous reports have demonstrated how discrimination negatively impacts well-being among LGBTQ+ people, as leading cancer research organization the American Cancer Society found in its 2024 Cancer Facts and Figures report that queer people frequently experience "minority stress" in health care settings, leading to an "elevated prevalence" of cancer risk factors.
