Avoiding certain factors in midlife may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia, according to recent research. A study monitored 12,409 individuals aged 55 without dementia for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and smoking over 26 years. Results showed that individuals without these risk factors lived approximately 30.1 disease-free years, while those with one risk factor lived 26.3 years without disease. The number decreased to 21 years for those with two risk factors and just over 17 years for individuals with all three risk factors. Avoiding these factors entirely could potentially add 13 more dementia-free years to one’s life.

Dr. Josef Coresh, with a team from New York University’s Langone Health Optimal Aging Institute, emphasized the importance of actively managing these risk factors in midlife to preserve brain health for over a decade. The study, published in the journal Neurology, also highlighted that women generally lived longer without dementia than men, and white individuals had more dementia-free years compared to black individuals, irrespective of the number of risk factors present.

Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Dr. Jacqui Hanley commented on the study’s significance, noting that focusing on midlife health can influence the number of dementia-free years one can expect to live. She emphasized the correlation between heart health and brain health, encouraging individuals to prioritize activities like physical exercise, smoking cessation, and managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes to promote overall well-being.

While there is no guaranteed method to prevent dementia, addressing cardiovascular health risk factors may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, as suggested by research, including this study.