A new study says better heart health in middle age may help reduce a person's risk significantly for dementia later in life.
Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute studied 1,449 Finns enrolled in the Finnish Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia study.
Adults with 'ideal' results on several cardiovascular health metrics were found to be 86% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with lower scores.
According to UPI, the metrics considered included smoking history, engagement in physical activity, body weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.
The findings suggest that maintaining lifelong heart health by not smoking, exercising regularly, and staying slim may reduce dementia risk later in life.