People with high blood pressure are more likely to experience memory loss and dementia as they age.
But a new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine offers hope: getting vigorous exercise just once a week could help protect brain function in those at higher risk.
The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Richard Kazibwe, regular physical activity is already known to lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
But the specific amount and intensity of exercise needed to protect memory and thinking skills has been less clear—until now.
The researchers used data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), a large study that began in 2009 and involved over 9,300 adults age 50 and older with high blood pressure.
These participants came from around 100 medical centers across the U.S. and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group aimed to lower their systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg (intensive treatment), while the other aimed for under 140 mm Hg (standard treatment).
The study was so successful in lowering risk for heart disease and death that it was stopped early, and its findings led to new guidelines for blood pressure control.
In 2019, a follow-up study called SPRINT MIND showed that tighter control of blood pressure also helped reduce the chances of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is often a warning sign of dementia.
Building on that research, Dr. Kazibwe and his team took a closer look at the role of exercise in protecting brain health. They examined whether people who reported engaging in vigorous physical activity at least once a week had a lower risk of developing MCI or dementia.
The results were encouraging. Participants who exercised vigorously once or more each week were less likely to develop cognitive problems. Nearly 60% of the people in the study said they did this level of exercise weekly—even those aged 75 and older.
“It’s great news that so many older adults are staying active,” said Dr. Kazibwe. “It also suggests that those who understand the health benefits of exercise may be more likely to push themselves to do more intense workouts.”
Interestingly, the protective effects of vigorous activity were even stronger in people younger than 75. This suggests that starting exercise earlier in life may offer the greatest benefit for brain health.
Still, Dr. Kazibwe cautions that more research is needed. The study relied on people self-reporting their exercise habits. Future studies should use activity trackers to measure exercise more accurately and include a more diverse range of participants to better understand who benefits most.
In the meantime, this study gives people with high blood pressure another reason to stay active. Just one or two sessions of vigorous physical activity each week could help maintain brain health and lower the risk of memory decline in later years.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that turmeric and vitamin D may boost blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes and scientists find link between blood pressure drugs and bowel diseases.
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