If you avoid three things in your 50s...you can delay dementia by 13 years A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology on the 7th found that if people in their 50s avoid three risk factors for dementia, they can delay the onset of dementia by about 13 years. The research team, led by Dr. David A. Bennett of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, analyzed data from 2,416 participants aged 50 to 89 who had not been diagnosed with dementia at the start of the study. The team identified three risk factors: hypertension, hearing loss, and smoking. They divided the participants into two groups: those who had none of the three risk factors and those who had at least one. They then compared the two groups to see how long it took for dementia to develop. As a result, the team found that people in their 50s who had none of the three risk factors developed dementia about 13 years later than those who had at least one risk factor. In particular, the team found that people with hypertension developed dementia 5.4 years earlier than those without hypertension, those with hearing loss developed dementia 3.2 years earlier, and smokers developed dementia 2.4 years earlier. The team emphasized that the risk factors for dementia are not limited to these three, and that there are many other risk factors that need to be managed. The study suggests that managing risk factors in one's 50s can have a significant impact on delaying the onset of dementia. The research team said, "The sooner you address risk factors, the better." They added, "The results suggest that delaying the onset of dementia can have a significant impact on reducing the burden of dementia."
We haven't written up this one. Hankyoreh has the full story — the link below goes straight to it.
