Researchers at New York University’s Langone Health checked more than 12,000 people without dementia at 55, including some who have high blood pressure, some with type 2 diabetes and others who smoke
Avoiding three things in middle age could keep dementia at bay for at least one decade, research suggests.
The study screened 12,409 people without dementia aged 55 for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and smoking. They were followed for an average of 26 years.
It found participants without three key risk factors lived about 30.1 years longer, free of disease. That dropped to 26.3 years for those with one risk factor, 21 years for people with two, and just over 17 years for all three. It meant steering clear altogether could give you an extra 13 years of life dementia-free.
Dr Josef Coresh, who collected the stats alongside a team at New York University’s 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?
“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.
“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.”