Midlife Vascular Risk Burden Tied to Up to 12.6 Fewer Dementia-Free Years
Midlife Vascular Risk Burden and Dementia-Free Survival Years
A 26-year study of 12,409 adults found that having three midlife vascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, smoking) at age 55 was linked to 17.5 dementia-free years versus 30.1 for those with none—a gap of 12.6 years. The higher-risk group faced a 2.69-fold greater dementia hazard and 5.61-fold greater death risk without dementia. Women outlived men dementia-free (18.1 vs 16.6 years with 3 risks), and Black participants had shorter dementia-free survival than White participants (16.0 vs 19.6 years).
Maintaining optimal midlife vascular health was associated with up to 12.6 additional dementia-free survival years, reflecting both higher dementia hazard and markedly higher competing mortality.