Study Links Better Midlife Vascular Health to Nearly 13 More Dementia-Free Years
Adults without smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes lived about 30 dementia-free years, researchers found.
- A study published in Neurology Open Access found that managing smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes in midlife can delay dementia by more than a decade, tracking 12,409 adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study over 26 years.
- Researchers at NYU Langone Health noted that vascular health plays a critical role in brain aging. The study examined dementia-free participants with an average age of 56 at baseline.
- Adults without smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes lived nearly 13 more years without dementia than those with all factors present, the New York Post reported. White participants lived 19.6 years versus 16 years for Black participants with all risk factors.
- Dr. Josef Coresh, founding director of the Optimal Aging Institute, said the results emphasize avoiding midlife risks to preserve brain health. Coresh noted that vascular risk reduction could benefit all populations.
- The CDC and The National Institute on Aging recommend managing blood pressure, preventing diabetes, and avoiding tobacco to support brain health. The Alzheimer Association notes that reduced blood flow damages brain cells and often accompanies other dementia changes.
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3 Factors You Can Address Now to Lower Your Dementia Risk, According to a New Study
A 26-year study dug into the data—here’s what the scientists found.Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RDCredit: Science Photo Library/EatingWell designKey PointsManaging blood pressure, blood sugar and avoiding smoking may add over a decade of dementia-free years.Midlife vascular health is key to brain health, and your health at midlife can have an impact years down the line.Daily habits can support vascular and brain health—start by eati…
High pressure, high glucose and smoking in middle age are associated with less years without dementia. Understand the study data.
Keeping blood pressure under control, preventing diabetes, and avoiding smoking during middle age could be related to nearly 13 additional years of life without dementia, according to a study published in Neurology Open Access. The research continued for an average of 26 years to 12,409 people, initially without dementia, to analyze the impact of three vascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. The results showed that those who …
What is good for the heart could also protect the brain. A new long-term study shows that vascular health in the middle years has a great influence on how long people live without dementia later.
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