Study finds three midlife health factors that could delay dementia for 13 years

The Guardian reports striking new research on how midlife health shapes the odds of dementia decades later. Scientists at NYU Langone Health, writing in the medical journal Neurology, analysed 12,409 Americans who were free of dementia at an average age of 56 and followed them for around 26 years. Those with normal blood pressure, no type 2 diabetes and no smoking between the ages of 45 and 65 lived almost 13 years longer without dementia than those who had all three risk factors.

The gradient is remarkably steady: people with none of the three risks averaged 30.1 more dementia-free years, compared with 26.3 years for one risk factor, 21 for two, and just over 17 for all three. The data come from the long-running Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, which began in 1986. The researchers also found that women lived longer without dementia than men whatever their risk count.

The message is hopeful rather than scolding — looking after heart health in middle age is also looking after brain health, and the decades between 45 and 65 appear to matter most. It is the kind of finding worth discussing at a routine check-up: blood pressure, blood sugar and smoking are all things a GP can help with.