Early-life gastric disease history and long-term cognitive risk: Evidence from a nationwide cohort

Abstract

Background Gastric disorders have been linked to health outcomes beyond the gastrointestinal system. However, the long-term implications of early-life gastric morbidity for aging-related outcomes remain unclear. We investigated the association between early-life gastric disorders and cognitive impairment in later adulthood, a key outcome in population aging. Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the association between a history of early-life gastric disorders and cognitive outcomes across midlife and aging. Methods We analyzed data from 6744 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2016). Early-life gastric disorders were defined as self-reported stomach problems before age 16. Incident cognitive impairment was identified based on self-reported physician diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk, with adjustment for relevant covariates, and stratified analyses were conducted. Results Early-life gastric disorders were associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.03–3.48). Subgroup analyses indicated variation across population groups. However, the association was not statistically significant after excluding early incident cases Conclusions Early-life gastric disorders may be linked to later cognitive impairment, although this association was sensitive to analytical assumptions and should be interpreted with caution. Further studies are needed to clarify underlying mechanisms.