Prevalent stroke, age of its onset, and post‐stroke lifestyle in relation to dementia: A prospective cohort study

Abstract INTRODUCTION The association of age at stroke onset with dementia and the role of post‐stroke lifestyle on dementia risk remains unclear. METHODS We leveraged data of 496,251 dementia‐free participants from UK Biobank and explored the relationship between age at stroke onset and incident dementia. Among 8328 participants with stroke history, we further investigated the association of a healthy lifestyle with risk of dementia. RESULTS Participants with stroke history had a higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.02). The association was stronger among participants with stroke onset at a younger age (≤50: HR, 2.63) compared with those at the age > 50 years (50–60: HR, 2.17; ≥60: HR, 1.58). Among participants with stroke history, a favorable lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of incident dementia. DISCUSSION Stroke onset in earlier life stage predicted a higher risk for dementia, but a favorable post‐stroke lifestyle may protect against dementia.