Researchers Led by Josef Coresh at New York University Analyzed Data From More Than 12,000 US Adults Tracked for 26 Years on Average

People who avoid smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure in their mid-50s can gain an additional 13 dementia-free years compared with those who live less healthily during midlife, according to a US study. Researchers led by Josef Coresh at New York University analyzed data from more than 12,000 US adults tracked for 26 years on average. Participants who avoided all three risk factors gained 12.6 dementia-free years, on average, versus those who had all three, who were 2.7 times more likely to develop dementia.

Avoiding one or two risks added roughly four and eight dementia-free years, respectively. The study, published in Neurology Open Access, controlled for sex, education, physical activity, body mass index and APOE gene variants, but did not account for hearing loss or social isolation, said Richard Siow at King's College London. Coresh noted results may differ in other countries due to genetics or environmental factors like air pollution. We thought focusing on time gained may help get across the benefits of averting dementia risks.