Three middle-age health habits that could delay dementia for 13 years
A new study says that taking care of your heart health between ages 45 and 65 can lower your risk of memory loss and dementia later in life. Scientists have found three things you can do in middle age to help prevent dementia for over 10 years.
People with normal blood pressure, no type 2 diabetes, and who do not smoke between ages 45 and 65 can expect, on average, 13 more years without dementia, the study found. The study also found that women lived longer without dementia than men, and white people had more dementia-free years than Black people, no matter their risk factors.
Researchers at NYU Langone Health looked at data from a long-term study that started in 1986. It followed thousands of Americans for decades, checking their heart health and if they developed dementia. In this study, 12,409 people around age 56 who did not have dementia were checked for three risks: high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and smoking. The researchers followed them for about 26 years.
During the study, 3,008 people got dementia and 5,238 died without getting it. People with none of these three risk factors lived about 13 years longer without dementia than people who had all three risks. Those with no diabetes, normal blood pressure, and who did not smoke had an average of 30 years without dementia. People with one risk factor had around 26 years without dementia, those with two risks had 21 years, and those with all three had just over 17 years.
Dr. Josef Coresh, who led the study, said people should try to avoid these three health risks in middle age to keep their brains healthy for many more years. He hopes these results will encourage people to stop smoking and pay attention to their heart health from age 45 onward.
The number of people with dementia worldwide could nearly triple to 153 million by 2050, but experts say almost half of cases could be prevented or delayed. Previous studies show that changing 14 risk factors, starting in childhood and continuing through life, could prevent or delay 45% of dementia cases.
The NYU Langone study said these three health risks usually start in middle age and can have long-term effects on the brain, so it’s important to spot and manage them early.
Dr. Jacqui Hanley, head of research funding at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said this study focuses on a key question: how long can people expect to live without dementia? She said the study shows how your health in midlife can affect how many years you live without dementia. High blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking can also raise your risk of dying early from other illnesses. These findings show why it’s important to care for both heart and brain health.
Hanley said everyone should stay active, avoid smoking, and manage health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. While there is no sure way to prevent dementia, studies suggest that caring for your heart health might also lower your risk of memory loss and dementia.
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