Two Or More Chronic Health Problems In Middle Age More Than Doubles Dementia Risk

People with two or more chronic health problems at age 55 have a risk of dementia risk 2.4 times higher than people who had no chronic health conditions at age 55. Having three or more chronic conditions at age 55 increases dementia risk about 5 times compared with those without chronic health conditions. For this research, chronic conditions included coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, hypertension, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver disease, depression, other mental health disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and osteoarthritis/rheumatoid arthritis.

Over all ages (55 to 70 years . . .