Avoiding smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure in your 50s may significantly extend the number of years lived without dementia, according to a new study.

A study of over 12,000 adults in the US indicates that avoiding smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure during midlife can lead to an average of 12.6 additional dementia-free years. Researchers tracked participants for an average of 26 years, beginning when they were approximately 56 years old. Those who avoided all three identified risk factors experienced significantly better outcomes than those who lived with all three conditions.

Impact of Risk Factors

Participants who reported having diabetes, high blood pressure, and a smoking habit in their mid-50s were 2.7 times more likely to develop dementia than those who avoided all three. The study found that even avoiding one or two of these risks provided benefits, with participants gaining roughly four and eight dementia-free years, respectively, compared to those with all three risks.

Study Limitations and Context

While the researchers controlled for factors such as sex, education, body mass index, and the APOE gene variant, experts note limitations. Richard Siow of King’s College London pointed out that the study did not account for factors like hearing loss and social isolation, which could influence the results. Additionally, Josef Coresh of New York University noted that the findings are based on a US population and may vary in other countries due to different environmental or genetic influences.