Midlife avoidance of smoking, hypertension and diabetes adds 13 dementia-free years

A recent investigation into cognitive aging revealed that middle-aged adults who do not smoke, maintain normal blood pressure and avoid diabetes can expect about 13 more years without dementia than peers with these conditions. The researchers reported that dementia-free survival averaged 30 years for the low-risk group versus 17 years for those with the three risk factors. Dr. Josef Coresh, director of NYU Langone’s Optimal Aging Institute, stressed that proactive management of vascular health is crucial for preserving brain function.

The analysis also showed gender and racial differences: women without the risk factors lived 18.1 years dementia-free, men 16.6 years, while White participants averaged 19.6 years compared with 16 years for Black participants. The authors suggest that targeted prevention could especially benefit Black adults, who tend to receive later diagnoses and experience more severe symptoms.