U.s. and China Found That Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure, Avoiding Diabetes, and Not Smoking Between Ages 45 and 65 Can Delay Dementia

The research, which analyzed health data from 12,409 participants over an average of 26 years, showed that preserving vascular health in midlife could extend dementia-free life by 12.6 years. Women with all three risk factors lived an average of 18.1 years dementia-free, while men lived 16.6 years; white participants averaged 19.6 years and Black participants 16 years, highlighting health disparities. Epidemiologist Josef Coresh emphasized avoiding these factors in midlife as a strategy to protect brain health for over a decade, noting that 42% of Americans over 55 face dementia risk. Globally, 10 million people are affected by dementia annually, with numbers expected to rise.