A study of more than 12,000 people suggests that avoiding three key risk factors in middle age could keep dementia at bay for at least a decade. Researchers at New York University's Langone Health followed 12,409 people without dementia, aged 55, for an average of 26 years. They tracked participants for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and smoking.
Key Findings on Dementia-Free Years
Participants without these three risk factors lived about 30.1 years free of disease. That figure dropped to 26.3 years for those with one risk factor, 21 years for people with two, and just over 17 years for those with all three. Steering clear altogether could give an extra 13 years of life dementia-free.
Expert Commentary
Dr Josef Coresh, who collected the stats alongside a team at NYU Langone Health Optimal Aging Institute, said: "Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade."
The study, published in the journal Neurology, also found women lived longer without dementia than men, and white people had more dementia-free years than black people, regardless of how many risk factors they have.
Alzheimer's Research UK's Dr Jacqui Hanley said of the findings: "Rather than focusing only on the chances of developing dementia, this study asks a question that matters to people: how long can we expect to live free from dementia?"
She added: "This approach gives a meaningful picture of how midlife health may shape the number of years we spend living free from dementia, while also recognising that high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are linked to a higher likelihood of dementia as well as a greater risk of dying earlier from other conditions."
Implications for Brain Health
Dr Hanley emphasised: "These findings emphasise why it's so important to look after your heart health as well as your brain health. Alzheimer's Research UK's Think Brain Health campaign encourages everyone to take practical steps to do just that, including staying physically active, not smoking, and managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes."
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research, including this study, suggests that addressing risk factors for poor cardiovascular health may also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
