Overview

• The study used UK Biobank data from 416,370 adults aged 40–69 over a median 12.5-year follow-up to assess long-term health outcomes.
• Each five-point increase in the McCance Brain Care Score corresponded with a 43% reduction in cardiovascular disease, including ischemic heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
• A comparable five-point gain was linked to a 31% lower incidence of lung, colorectal and breast cancers.
• The 21-point score captures modifiable factors ranging from nutrition and physical activity to blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and psychosocial stressors.
• Although the findings highlight strong associations, authors caution the score does not establish causality and may not generalize beyond middle-aged cohorts, yet they see promise for primary care use.