Imagine helping your clients protect their memories decades before dementia shows up on the radar. That’s not just hopeful thinking—it’s backed by powerful new research, and it starts with something you’re already coaching on: heart health.

A study just published in JAMA Neurology shows that nearly half of all dementia cases could be linked to modifiable vascular risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and smoking—especially when those risks appear in midlife. The big takeaway? The earlier we start, the greater the impact.

As a coach or practitioner, this research is your cue to lean even harder into your midlife programs and client support strategies. Dementia prevention doesn’t start at 70—it starts at 45.

What the Study Reveals

Researchers at Johns Hopkins followed thousands of adults for 33 years, tracking vascular health and cognitive decline across three midlife age ranges:

• Ages 45–54: 22% of dementia cases linked to vascular issues.

• Ages 55–64: That number climbs to 26%.

• Ages 65–74: A staggering 44% of dementia cases are tied to poor vascular health.

After age 80? The impact of these risk factors drops to just 2–8%.

So what does that mean for you as a coach? Midlife is your golden window—the moment to guide your clients toward better lifestyle choices that protect both heart and brain.

Not All Clients Face the Same Risks

Certain populations are more vulnerable:

• Clients without the APOE-ε4 gene (meaning no known genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s) had a higher proportion of dementia cases linked to vascular issues—up to 61%.

• Black clients faced higher attributable risks than White clients (26–53%).

• Women over 55 also saw elevated risk (29–51%).

This is more than just numbers. It’s a clear signal that prevention strategies must be personalized—something health coaching is uniquely positioned to deliver.

The Risk Combo Effect

Vascular risk factors don’t just add up—they multiply. Hypertension and diabetes? Smoking and diabetes? These combinations sent dementia risk soaring, with hazard ratios between 2.00 and 3.54.

Even more interesting: Smoking’s impact decreases with age, while the impact of hypertension and diabetes increases. That gives you strategic insight into when to focus on specific interventions.

What You Can Do—Today

As coaches, we’re already on the front lines of prevention. This research just reinforces that what you do matters more than ever.

Here’s how to turn this knowledge into client transformation:

• Prioritize vascular health in your midlife coaching protocols. Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight management are brain-protective interventions.

• Educate clients about their personal risk factors. Use family history, genetics, and lifestyle assessments to tailor support.

• Build personalized action plans. Integrate movement, nutrition, stress reduction, and sleep hygiene to address the whole person.

• Use targeted programs like The Brain Health Program and Cognitive Comeback to offer structured, evidence-based support.

These programs are designed to guide clients through the exact lifestyle changes this study highlights—empowering them to take ownership of their future, one step at a time.

The Takeaway

You don’t need to be a neurologist to help prevent dementia. You need tools, insight, and a deep connection with your clients’ goals and fears.

This research proves that preventing dementia starts long before symptoms appear—and you’re already equipped to lead the way.

So ask yourself: What conversations can you start this week to help a client reduce their risk? What small, consistent changes can you coach them through that could protect their brain—and their memories—for decades?

Ready to take the lead in dementia prevention?
Explore The Brain Health Program and Cognitive Comeback—evidence-based frameworks to help your clients protect both their hearts and their minds.

👉 [Learn more here]  and start making an impact today.

Inner Circle (Includes BA, OMM)

Platinum Business Packages

Done-for-you programs

🔍 Landmark Studies & Reviews

“Midlife vascular risk factors and risk of incident dementia in the ARIC study”
A longitudinal cohort analysis confirming midlife smoking, diabetes, prehypertension, and hypertension increase dementia risk health.harvard.edu+15jamanetwork.com+15alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com+15.

Harvard Health: “Midlife heart health shows a link with future risk of dementia”
Explores how high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking in midlife are tied to dementia decades later pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+6health.harvard.edu+6health.harvard.edu+6.

Harvard Health: “Midlife fitness linked to less dementia later in life”
Highlights a 44-year study where highly fit middle-aged women had dramatically lower dementia rates health.harvard.edu+15health.harvard.edu+15neurology.org+15.

Harvard Health: “Lowering blood pressure may help prevent dementia”
Details findings that treating elevated blood pressure in midlife can reduce dementia or cognitive impairment by around 7% .

Circulation: “Vascular Risk Factors and Midlife Cognition”
A review of the long-recognized connection between cerebrovascular health and cognition over a lifespan sciencedirect.com+15ahajournals.org+15pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15.

Johns Hopkins Public Health: “Taking Care of the Heart in Midlife Can Help to Slow or Prevent Dementia Onset”
Summarizes key findings and emphasizes midlife as a critical window for brain health prevention thelancet.com+5publichealth.jhu.edu+5health.com+5.

🧠 Systematic Reviews & Tools

“Vascular risk factors and dementia: How to move forward?”
A comprehensive 2008 review suggesting aggressive treatment of vascular risk factors to potentially avoid cognitive decline pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1ahajournals.org+1.

Health.com (Reddit summary): “How to lower your dementia risk”
Users highlight foundational strategies: aerobic exercise, brain-healthy diet, and quality sleep—core pillars of your coaching message reddit.com.

Health.com: “Your ‘Brain Care Score’ Might Be Able to Predict Your Risk…”
Introduces a multi-factor assessment tool focused on midlife health to predict dementia risk and guide early intervention ahajournals.org+15health.com+15jamanetwork.com+15.

👫 Broader Perspective

BMJ Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry: Study on 17 Modifiable Risk Factors
Includes blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep, social engagement, and diet—underscoring the interconnected nature of brain health ahajournals.org+6health.com+6health.com+6.

AP News: “Up to 4 in 10 people could develop dementia after 55. What you can do to lower your risk”
Highlights demographic disparities and emphasizes prevention strategies—mirroring the focus of your work .