In a March 31st article, the Daily Mail profiled 2001 AFAR Beeson Scholar Dr. Kristine Yaffe’s 1983 - 2013 Coronary Artery Risk Development Study, which indicated that healthier levels of blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol in your 20s result in better heart and brain health later in life.
By following 3,330 18-30 year olds for 25 years, Dr. Yaffe discovered that individuals with small signs of deteriorating heart health at a young age had poorer cardiovascular health and cognitive function in their 50s and 60s.
Dr. Yaffe’s research had the potential to decrease diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia because it demonstrates that combating poor health indicators at a young age may have positive lifelong effects.
Kristine Yaffe, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology and Biostatics as the University pf California, San Francisco and the recipient of a 2001 AFAR Paul Beeson Career Development Award in Aging Research.
Learn more about the biology of aging at our online resource, InfoAging.org, including our guide to Alzheimer’s disease.
