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Dementia: 3 factors linked with developing the disease sooner
CNN • • health
Key Points:
- A study of over 12,400 adults found that avoiding type 2 diabetes, smoking, and high blood pressure in middle age could delay the onset of dementia by nearly 13 years.
- Participants with all three risk factors around age 56 were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and over five times more likely to die prematurely from other causes.
- The research highlights the importance of lifestyle changes such as managing diet, exercise, stress, and quitting smoking to reduce dementia risk, emphasizing that nearly 45% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable factors.
- The study followed participants for about 26 years and showed disparities in dementia-free years by sex and race, with Black individuals and those carrying the APOE ε4 gene experiencing earlier onset.
- Experts stress that brain health depends on consistent, long-term healthy habits and recommend working with healthcare providers to manage risk factors and improve overall health span.
