### Cardiovascular Health and Dementia Risk Factors Over Time Recent research from University College London (UCL) has highlighted the changing landscape of dementia risk factors, with cardiovascular health now taking a leading role. By analyzing 27 studies spanning over 70 years, researchers identified the top risk factors for dementia, which include hypertension, obesity, diabetes, education, and smoking. Over the decades, the prevalence of these risk factors has shifted. While smoking and education have become less significant due to public health interventions like anti-smoking campaigns and mandatory education, obesity and diabetes have risen in prominence. Hypertension remains the most significant risk factor despite increased efforts to manage it. The study's lead author, Dr. Naaheed Mukadam, emphasized that cardiovascular risk factors have become more influential over time, suggesting that targeted actions to improve heart and blood vessel health could be crucial for future dementia prevention. The study estimates that eliminating modifiable risk factors could potentially prevent 40% of dementia cases. According to the CDC, approximately 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's and related dementias, with 5.6 million of those being 65 or older. In the UK, around 944,000 people are estimated to have dementia.