In a new study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2022, researchers found that high blood pressure among younger adults, ages 20-40 years, appears to be linked to brain changes in midlife (average age 55). The related brain change could increase the risk for cognitive decline later in life.
According to the American Heart Association, from 2015-2019 more than 47% of U.S. adults had high blood pressure.
In 2019, the U.S. age-adjusted death rate primarily attributable to high blood pressure was 25.1 per 100,000.
High blood pressure death rates for non-Hispanic Black adults were 56 per 100,000 among males and 38.7 per 100,000 among females.
Previous studies have shown that high blood pressure disrupts the structure and function of the brain’s blood vessels, damaging regions of the brain that are critical for cognitive function.
In the current study, the team analyzed 30 years of follow-up including MRI brain images for 142 adults from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
The CARDIA study enrolled participants from four U.S. cities (Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Oakland, California), in 1985-1986.
In total, the study recruited more than 5,000 Black and white adults, ages 18 to 30 years, who have been followed for over 30 years.
They found that younger adults who had higher cumulative blood pressure exposure (from 25 to 55 years of age) had more changes visible on brain imaging at midlife, which may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction in mid and late life.
The brain changes that occurred were similar across all races and ethnic groups examined in the study when accounting for the degree of high blood pressure exposure.
The findings provide further evidence that high blood pressure during young adulthood may contribute to changes in the brain later in life.
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The study was conducted by Christina Lineback, M.D et al.
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