NYU Study Links 3 Midlife Habits to 13 More Dementia-Free Years
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
NYU Study Links 3 Midlife Habits to 13 More Dementia-Free Years
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
Summary
12,409 U.S. adults tracked for about 26 years gained nearly 13 extra dementia-free years on average if they entered midlife with normal blood pressure, no type 2 diabetes and no smoking history.
The Neurology study, led by NYU Langone using the long-running ARIC cohort, found people with none of the three risks had 30.1 dementia-free years remaining on average, versus just over 17 years for those with all three.
3,008 participants developed dementia and 5,238 died without it during follow-up, underscoring the study's focus on years lived free of dementia rather than risk alone.
Women outlived men without dementia regardless of risk burden, while white participants had more dementia-free years than Black participants.
The findings add to evidence that modifiable cardiovascular risks in midlife can delay cognitive decline as global dementia cases are projected to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050.