Brain age gap may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors

Dementia: Study links 3 vascular health risk factors to increased risk

A new study has found a link between certain midlife vascular risk factors — specifically high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking — and the risk for dementia.

Brain age gap may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors

The difference between the brain's predicted age and actual chronological age, called a brain age gap, may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes, and a person's cognitive performance, also known as thinking and memory skills, according to a study published June 18, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Brain Age Gap May Predict Cognitive Decline

A new study reveals that the brain age gap—the difference between a brain’s biological age and chronological age—may influence how risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure affect cognitive function. Using machine learning to analyze brain scans from over 1,400 older adults, researchers found that a greater brain age gap was linked to poorer thinking and memory skills.