Study Finds 3 Midlife Vascular Risks Cut Dementia-Free Life by 12.6 Years
Updated
Updated · Futura · Aug 17
Study Finds 3 Midlife Vascular Risks Cut Dementia-Free Life by 12.6 Years
3 articles · Updated · Futura · Aug 17
Summary
12,409 U.S. adults tracked for an average 26 years showed the starkest gap in dementia-free survival between those with no vascular risks and those with all three.
30.1 years without dementia was the average for participants without diabetes, hypertension or smoking, versus 17.5 years for those carrying all three risks.
3,008 participants developed dementia during follow-up, while 5,238 died before developing it, linking midlife vascular health to later cognitive longevity.
Women outlived men without dementia across every risk category; among those with all three risks, women averaged 18.1 years versus 16.6 for men.
Neurology published the observational study, which used a single baseline risk assessment and could not prove causation or capture later treatment and lifestyle changes.