A study of more than 12,000 people found that avoiding three key risk factors in middle age is linked to living 13 years longer without dementia. The research, led by NYU Langone Health in the US, focused on the impact of normal blood pressure, no diabetes, and not smoking from age 45 to 65.
Study Details and Findings
The study, published in the journal Neurology, followed 12,409 people who were dementia-free at age 55 for an average of 26 years. Participants were assessed for high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking. During the follow-up, 3,008 developed dementia, and 5,238 died without developing dementia.
Results showed that those with none of the three risk factors lived an average of 30.1 more years free of dementia from age 55, compared to just over 17 years for those with all three. Those with one risk factor had an extra 26.3 years, and those with two had 21 years.
Expert Commentary
Senior investigator Dr Josef Coresh, director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone, 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 also found that women lived longer without dementia than men, and white people had more dementia-free years than black people, regardless of risk factors.
Broader Context
Previous research has linked lifestyle choices in midlife—such as exercise, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and avoiding social isolation—to reduced dementia risk. The new study emphasizes that vascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, and smoking are well-established contributors to dementia, often emerging in midlife and having lasting effects.
Dr Jacqui Hanley, head of research funding at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “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? 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.”
Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, added: “This study adds to growing evidence that looking after our heart health in midlife may help us live more years free from dementia. While no single action can guarantee that you won’t get dementia, evidence shows that what’s good for the heart is often good for the brain. Not smoking, keeping active and managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes are all important steps people can take to support their long-term brain health.”
