Lifestyle factors that influence your risk of vascular disease including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking also increase your risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from UC Davis.
Researchers from UC Davis looked at data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study beginning in 1978. They tracked participants for markers of vascular disease, which are known to be associated with diet and lifestyle choices.
Starting in 1999, researchers started measuring vascular disease in the brain including brain volume and white matter hyperintensities, and also conducting cognitive tests such as verbal and spatial memory and decision making.
Participants with higher blood pressure developed cognitive problems and hyperintensities more quickly. Obesity was highly correlated with increased cognitive decline on executive tasks. Diabetes was associated with decreased volume in a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation. Smokers had a more rapid increase in hyperintensities.