Journal of the American Heart Association, Volume 15, Issue 11 , June 2, 2026. BackgroundPreventing dementia through risk factor modification is a global health priority.
Although individual cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have been linked to dementia, the cumulative burden of CVRFs, their changes over time, and the role of life‐course confounders, especially early‐life and psychological factors, remain poorly understood. This study aimed to estimate the longitudinal association between changes in CVRF burden and dementia risk under different hypothetical scenarios.MethodsWe analyzed 6051 participants from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, with a median follow‐up of 21.9 years.
We used the doubly robust g‐formula method to estimate the 20‐year risk difference for dementia under hypothetical strategies that maintain CVRF burden at different levels over time, explicitly accounting for competing mortality and time‐varying confounding.ResultsAt baseline, 23.1% had ≥3 CVRFs. During follow‐up, 1008 participants (17%) developed dementia.
Low birth weight, midlife depression, and poor oral health emerged as important confounders.
Journal of the American Heart Association published a clinical update in Cardiology on 25 May 2026.
The item focuses on Long‐Term Association of Cardiovascular Risk Burden With Dementia Risk: The Role of Life‐Course Confounders in an Analysis of Cumulative and Specific Factors.
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