Midlife blood pressure, diabetes and smoking linked to later dementia risk, study finds
A long-term study of over 12,000 adults shows that maintaining normal blood pressure, avoiding diabetes and not smoking between ages 48 and 68 is associated with up to 13 additional dementia-free years.
A study using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort found that adults who maintained normal blood pressure, did not develop diabetes and avoided smoking between ages 48 and 68 lived significantly longer without dementia. The analysis, which followed 12,409 participants for an average of 26 years, reported that those without any of the three risk factors remained dementia-free for almost 13 years longer than participants who later developed the condition.
The researchers observed that 3,008 participants eventually received a dementia diagnosis while 5,238 died without it. They also noted differences by gender and race: women and white participants tended to have more dementia-free years than men and Black participants, respectively. "These results suggest that vascular risk reduction may benefit all groups, but that certain populations, such as Black adults, may especially benefit from targeted prevention efforts," said Dr. Josef Coresh, senior investigator of the study.
The investigators cautioned that risk factors were measured only once, limiting conclusions about causality. Nonetheless, they said the findings provide a framework for encouraging midlife interventions that could improve both cardiovascular and cognitive health as the population ages.