A new study says better heart health in middle age may help reduce a person's risk significantly for dementia later in life.<br />Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute studied 1,449 Finns enrolled in the Finnish Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia study.<br />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.<br />According to UPI, the metrics considered included smoking history, engagement in physical activity, body weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.<br />The findings suggest that maintaining lifelong heart health by not smoking, exercising regularly, and staying slim may reduce dementia risk later in life.
