Dementia can appear earlier in men at risk for heart disease: research [Video]

Men at risk for heart disease may develop dementia up to a decade earlier than similarly at-risk women, a new study found.

“The influence of cardiovascular disease on dementia in men a decade before the females is not known before,” said lead study author Dr. Paul Edison, professor of neuroscience at Imperial College London, in an email.

“This is novel finding with significant health implications.”

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Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization, and heart disease has been the No. 1 killer in the United States for more than 100 years.

Heart disease risk factors include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, along with smoking, drinking too much alcohol and not getting proper exercise and adequate sleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All these conditions can lead to small vessel disease, which can affect oxygen delivery to the …