When you visit the doctor and get your blood pressure checked, you usually see two numbers. These numbers are called systolic and diastolic pressure, and they tell us a lot about our heart. But now, new research shows they might also give us important information about our brain.
The first number, systolic pressure, is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. This is the number doctors usually focus on because it is closely linked to heart problems. The second number, diastolic pressure, shows the pressure when your heart is resting between beats.
A new study led by Michelle R. Caunca from the University of Miami has found that the second number—diastolic pressure—might also be very important for brain health, especially as we age. The research was published in the journal Stroke.
The scientists wanted to know if diastolic blood pressure could be connected to small scars in the brain called white matter lesions. These scars are tiny, but they can affect how the brain works. They are linked to a higher chance of having dementia, strokes, and problems with walking or balance.
To study this, the researchers looked at brain scans from 1,205 people who were 50 years old or older. They used MRI scans to find out how many white matter lesions each person had.
They found that people with lower diastolic blood pressure—below 80—had fewer of these brain scars. People with higher diastolic pressure—above 90—had more scars. This was an important discovery, because it shows that the lower number on your blood pressure reading might be more important for your brain than we thought.
White matter in the brain is made up of nerve fibers that send signals from one part of the brain to another. These fibers are like highways, and white matter lesions are like roadblocks. When roadblocks form, it becomes harder for messages to get through. This can lead to problems with memory, thinking clearly, or keeping your balance.
By the time people reach their 60s, about one in five will have some white matter lesions. As people age, these brain scars become more common, and by the time they are in their 90s, most people will have them.
The study also found that the location of the lesions matters. Lesions near a part of the brain called the periventricular region—close to fluid-filled spaces in the brain—were especially linked to memory and thinking problems. This part of the brain seems to be more sensitive to high diastolic pressure, which may damage the tiny blood vessels in that area.
So what does this mean for you? It means that both numbers in a blood pressure reading are important—not just the top one. If you are over 50, keeping an eye on your diastolic pressure could help protect your brain as well as your heart.
This research reminds us to talk with our doctors about both our systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Watching both numbers could help prevent brain problems as we get older.
Taking care of your blood pressure might be one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy for years to come.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
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