Health & IQ

Most research finds that higher IQ is positively correlated with better health outcomes. There are some exceptions though. Read the highlighted articles and key takeaways below for more information. 

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High IQ in Early Adulthood Is Associated with Parkinson’s Disease. 2020. This study from Sweden identified high IQ as a risk factor for Parkinson's Disease. 

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High intelligence may exacerbate paediatric inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. 2021. The authors of this piece propose that high IQ may be linked to increased risk for severe COVID-19 sequelae. They propose a "hyper brain, hyper body" response to infection may be occurring. 

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Perfectionism in relation to stress and cardiovascular disease among gifted individuals and the need for affective interventions. 2018. This review article suggests that perfectionism among gifted individuals could lead to negative cardiovascular outcomes. 

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Childhood intelligence and adult health: The mediating roles of education and socioeconomic status. 2013. This study found that childhood IQ predicted adult health 40 years later, but it also found that education and adult SES mediated the effects. The study took place in a country with universal healthcare, thus controlling somewhat for access to healthcare, suggesting that IQ was the significant factor in predicting adult health.