Avoiding three key risk factors in middle age may extend the dementia-free period by up to a decade, according to a recent study. The research, which involved 12,409 individuals aged 55 without dementia, focused on monitoring high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and smoking habits over an average of 26 years.
Results showed that individuals without any of the three risk factors lived approximately 30.1 years longer without disease. The duration decreased to 26.3 years with one risk factor, 21 years with two, and just over 17 years with all three factors present. Consequently, steering clear of these risk factors entirely could potentially add an extra 13 years to one’s dementia-free lifespan.
Dr. Josef Coresh, working with a team at New York University’s Langone Health Optimal Aging Institute, emphasized the importance of actively avoiding these risk factors in midlife to preserve brain health for an extended period. The study, published in the journal Neurology, also revealed that women generally lived longer without dementia than men, and white individuals experienced more dementia-free years compared to black individuals, regardless of the number of risk factors.
Dr. Jacqui Hanley from Alzheimer’s Research UK commented on the study’s significance, highlighting the importance of midlife health in determining the years spent living free from dementia. The findings underscore the crucial connection between heart health and brain health, emphasizing the need to maintain good cardiovascular health through practices such as physical activity, abstaining from smoking, and managing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
While there is no foolproof method to prevent dementia, addressing risk factors associated with poor cardiovascular health could potentially reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, as indicated by this study. The Think Brain Health campaign by Alzheimer’s Research UK encourages individuals to take proactive steps towards maintaining overall health and well-being to mitigate the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in the future.