A recent study has uncovered a startling connection between high blood pressure in your 30s and brain health in your 70s, especially for men.
Researchers compared brain scans of older adults who had high blood pressure in their 30s with those who had normal blood pressure during the same period.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that individuals with high blood pressure in their early years showed significant brain changes later in life, which are linked to dementia.
The team used MRI scans to analyze the brains of these older adults. They discovered that those who had high blood pressure in their younger years had notably lower brain volumes in specific regions and poorer white matter integrity.
Both these factors are known to be associated with dementia. Interestingly, the study found that the negative changes in the brain, such as decreased grey matter and frontal cortex volume, were more pronounced in men.
Researchers believe this might be due to the protective effects of estrogen in women before menopause.
Kristen M. George, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, and the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of identifying factors that can be modified over a person’s life to reduce the risk of dementia.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that can be treated and is associated with dementia. The findings of this study highlight the critical role of managing blood pressure in early adulthood for brain health in later years.
Hypertension, defined as blood pressure higher than the normal level of 130/80 mmHg, affects nearly half of the adult population in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevalence of high blood pressure varies across different genders and races, with about 50% of men affected compared to 44% of women. The condition is more common in Black adults than in white, Asian, and Hispanic adults.
For this study, the researchers analyzed data from 427 participants from two diverse studies, including older adults from various racial backgrounds.
By looking at blood pressure readings from when the participants were between 30 to 40 years old, the researchers could identify those who had normal blood pressure, were transitioning to hypertension, or had hypertension in their youth.
MRI scans conducted between 2017 and 2022 provided insights into the participants’ brain health in later life.
Compared to those with normal blood pressure, participants with high blood pressure showed significant differences in their brain scans, including lower grey matter and frontal cortex volumes and reduced brain connectivity. These changes were more evident in men than in women.
This study adds to the growing evidence that cardiovascular risk factors in young adulthood can negatively impact brain health in later years.
However, the researchers caution that the study’s sample size limited their ability to examine racial and ethnic differences and that MRI data from only one time-point later in life could not provide specific evidence of neurodegeneration over time.
Senior author Rachel Whitmer, a professor at UC Davis and associate director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center, highlights the importance of maintaining good heart health throughout life for healthy brain aging.
The team is excited to continue their research to understand more about early life factors that contribute to healthy brain aging in late life.
This study underscores the critical need to manage blood pressure from a young age to ensure better brain health in the senior years.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and Coconut oil could help improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s.
The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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