A groundbreaking study from the University of Oxford reveals that developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes before age 55 can significantly raise the risk of dementia in later life. Additionally, strokes and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression occurring between the ages of 55 and 70 may double this risk.
The research highlights that up to 80% of dementia patients have two or more chronic health conditions, yet the connections between specific illnesses, their timing, and dementia risk have remained unclear. By analyzing data from 282,712 individuals in the UK Biobank, researchers examined the patterns of 46 chronic diseases to identify “critical time windows” when these conditions most strongly impact dementia development.
Findings show that heart conditions—including heart disease and atrial fibrillation—and diabetes before 55 are strongly linked to increased dementia risk. After age 55, mental health disorders and strokes become leading contributors, doubling the likelihood of developing dementia.
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Sana Suri, associate professor and senior fellow at Oxford Brain Sciences, explains, “While it is known that multimorbidity raises dementia risk, the study clarifies which combinations of diseases are most influential and when they matter most. We now understand not only how illnesses coexist but when they pose the greatest threat.”
The study also indicates that individuals who experience early-life cardiovascular problems and later develop strokes or mental health conditions face the highest dementia risk. Accounting for multiple health issues throughout life could improve dementia risk assessments and inform targeted prevention strategies.
Suri emphasizes the need for further research to uncover why these relationships exist and to validate findings across diverse populations. Future work might focus on whether controlling cardiovascular health in early adulthood, combined with managing neurological and mental health in middle age, can reduce the incidence of dementia.