Researchers found that people who reached midlife without any of these three vascular risk factors lived nearly 13 more years free of dementia than those who had all three. Study Finds Strong Link Between Midlife Vascular Health and Dementia RiskResearchers analyzed how three common vascular risk factors, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes, affected the number of years participants lived without developing dementia. The study found an association between better vascular health and longer dementia-free survival, but it does not prove that eliminating these risk factors directly prevents dementia. As neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, who was not involved in the study, told CNN, "It's never too early, or too late, to improve brain health." His comments reflect the growing consensus that addressing modifiable vascular risk factors throughout adulthood may support healthier cognitive aging.