Study Identifies 3 Factors to Potentially Delay Dementia for 13 Years
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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119 Articles
The study included 12,409 people with an average age of 56 years who had no history of dementia at the beginning of the study.
FRIDAY HEALTH REPORT: Nearly half of Americans over 55 at risk of dementia, but lifestyle changes can delay it
Nearly half of Americans are at risk of developing dementia after the age of 55, but a new study suggests three lifestyle changes could delay that diagnosis by more than a decade.Researchers tracked more than 12,000 participants more than 25 years in a study published in Neurology. They found that people who entered old age with normal blood pressure, no diabetes and no history of smoking lived 13 years longer without dementia than those who had…
Avoiding These 3 Things in Midlife Is Linked to 13 More Dementia-Free Years
—Lucy Lambriex—Getty ImagesIt’s not always possible to prevent or delay dementia. But experts are learning more about certain risk factors that may increase a person’s chances of developing the condition. A new study published Aug. 5 in Neurology Open Access, found that three factors are linked to living many more years without dementia: having normal blood pressure, being diabetes-free, and not smoking. When people in middle age and older—from …
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