People who don’t smoke and who don’t have high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes live much longer on average without developing dementia. This is the conclusion of a study from New York University published in the journal “Neurology”.
This survey, reported by the “Tages-Anzeiger”, is based on the health data of 12,409 people followed since 1986, as part of a long-term American study. At the start of the study, participants were on average 56 years old and showed no signs of dementia. During the approximately 30 years of observation, almost 3,000 people developed dementia, while more than 5,200 died without having previously been diagnosed with dementia.
Difference between sexes
The main difference between the groups was in dementia-free duration: People without any of the three risk factors went on average about 30 years without contracting the disease.
When smoking, hypertension and diabetes were present simultaneously, this period was reduced to just over 17 years. With one or two risk factors, she was on average 26 and 21 years old, respectively. In total, the gap between the two furthest groups is therefore almost 13 years.
The analysis also reveals gender differences: women develop the disease later on average than men. Differences were also observed between black and white participants. Researchers attribute these discrepancies, among other things, to structural inequalities in access to health care.
According to the research team, all three risk factors often appear in midlife and can lead to irreversible brain damage. Early treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as stopping smoking, therefore constitute important preventive measures.
