Study Identifies Three Midlife Health Factors Linked to Lower Dementia-Free Life
Researchers found that normal blood pressure, no diabetes and not smoking were linked to nearly 13 more dementia-free years.
- On August 5, 2026, researchers published findings in Neurology Open Access linking midlife vascular health—specifically blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking—to dementia onset timing and dementia-free lifespans.
- Data from the ARIC study, tracking 12,409 adults for 26 years, found that avoiding type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking can delay dementia onset by about 13 years.
- "Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade," said Dr. Josef Coresh, director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone.
- Research identified health disparities: women remained dementia-free longer than men, while White participants lived 19.6 years without dementia compared to 16 years for Black participants.
- Vascular health is crucial for preserving brain function, as damage to blood vessels reduces oxygen delivery to the brain, underscoring the importance of managing these risk factors during middle age.
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18 Articles
Dementia risk: Smoking, diabetes, hypertension play key role
According to a recent study, individuals who avoid smoking, do not have diabetes, and have normal blood pressure in midlife may have an additional 13 years without dementia, compared with those with all three risk factors.
Avoiding three key risk factors could keep you dementia-free for 13 extra years
Researchers at New York University's Langone Health checked more than 12,000 people without dementia at 55, including some who have high blood pressure, some with type 2 diabetes and others who smoke
Cutting Three Key Risk Factors Could Delay Dementia Onset by 12 Years
A new study has found that avoiding high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking between the ages of 45 and 65 is linked to adding over 12 years free of dementia, on average, to a person’s lifespan. “Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade,” said Josef Coresh, MD, PhD, professor of population health and medicine, and founding director of the Op…
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