A long-term, large-scale study from the National Institutes of Health followed almost 16 thousand adults aged 45-64 in 1987 for 25 years; participants’ general health was assessed five times throughout the study. Over 1500 adults were diagnosed with dementia over the course of the study, with carriers of the APOE4 gene, African Americans, and those who did not graduate from high school being more likely to develop the disease. Individuals with diabetes or high blood pressure and Caucasian adults who smoked were also at elevated risk. These effects remained when controlling for individuals who had experienced a stroke. Lead researcher Rebecca Gottesman explains the significance: “Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence linking midlife vascular health to dementia. These are modifiable risk factors. Our hope is that by addressing these types of factors early, people can reduce the chances that they will suffer from dementia later in life.” The team hopes to further explore the connection between vascular and brain health and determine the role of race in the future.
SOURCE: Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170807120524.htm
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: JAMA Neurology: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2646624
DATE RETRIEVED: August 9, 2017