Avoiding These 3 Things in Midlife Is Linked to 13 More Dementia-Free Years
There are still opportunities in midlife to prevent dementia or delay its onset, a new study finds.
A new study published in Neurology Open Access on August 5 suggests that three risk factors—normal blood pressure, no diabetes, and not smoking—are linked to living 13 more years without dementia. Researchers analyzed data from over 12,000 participants who were middle-aged at the start of the study and had no dementia. Those who met all three conditions lived significantly longer than smokers with high blood pressure and diabetes.
While the study doesn't prove causation, it emphasizes that midlife health choices can impact dementia risk, with females and white participants generally experiencing longer dementia-free lives. The World Health Organization has also issued updated guidelines on preventing dementia, recommending the same three factors along with other lifestyle changes, suggesting that up to 45% of dementia cases could be avoided by addressing these modifiable risk factors.
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