AVOIDING THREE RISK FACTORS LINKED TO 13 EXTRA YEARS WITHOUT DEMENTIA

Avoiding high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking between ages 45 and 65 is associated with living approximately 13 additional years free of dementia, according to research published in the journal Neurology. Scientists at NYU Langone Health in the United States studied 12,409 people without dementia at age 55 and followed them for an average of 26 years. During that period, 3,008 participants developed dementia and 5,238 died without developing the condition. Those who had none of the three risk factors lived an average of 30.1 years free of dementia from age 55, the study found.

The research examined the effect of each individual risk factor on dementia-free life expectancy. Participants with one risk factor had an average of 26.3 dementia-free years remaining, those with two had 21 years, and those with all three had just over 17 years. 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 how many risk factors they possessed. Dr Josef Coresh, senior investigator and director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone, stated that the findings demonstrate people "need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade."

Dr Jacqui Hanley from Alzheimer's Research UK said the study's approach of measuring years lived free from dementia provides "a meaningful picture of how midlife health may shape" longevity without cognitive decline. She noted that the three risk factors are linked both to higher dementia likelihood and to earlier death from other conditions. The research adds to existing evidence that lifestyle choices in middle age can reduce dementia risk.