Scientific research confirms that brain health is very much connected to metabolic and vascular health. Furthermore, it's long been established that type 2 diabetes, smoking, and high blood pressure are three of the most significant risk factors for dementia. But a new study published on August 5, 2026, in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology Open Access has for the first time
quantified how much the combination of these risk factors in middle age may influence the onset of dementia.
The study, involving over 12,400 adults and undertaken over a 26-year period, sheds new light on how dementia develops. Importantly, it identifies how managing these risk factors in midlife may actually delay the onset of dementia by nearly 13 years.
In this gallery, we explore these finding in more detail and find out how it's possible to add several dementia-free years to your life. Click on to continue reading.