So, only those women with lead biomarkers found in their tibia bone, an indication of long-ago exposure, scored poorly enough to be considered statistically significant, according to the study appearing in the April issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

"Findings in this study are important because of their long-range consequences on the public health of an aging generation," the journal's editor-in-chief, Hugh A. Tilson, said in a journal news release.

"Impaired cognition and cognitive decline in older women are associated with heightened risks of dementia, physical disability, hospitalization and reduced quality of life in later years," he said.

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Editor:Yang Jie