A routine blood pressure check gives you two numbers, and both can tell doctors something important about your health.
The top number is systolic blood pressure, which measures pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. The lower number is diastolic blood pressure, which measures pressure while the heart rests between beats.
Doctors often focus strongly on systolic blood pressure because high levels are closely linked to heart disease and stroke.
But research led by Michelle R. Caunca at the University of Miami suggests that diastolic pressure may also provide useful information about the health of the brain. The findings point to a possible connection between higher diastolic pressure and small areas of damage in the brain.
The researchers studied 1,205 adults aged 50 and older. They used magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to look for changes called white matter lesions, which appear as damaged areas in the brain’s white matter. These changes become more common as people grow older.
White matter contains millions of nerve fibers that connect different parts of the brain. These connections allow brain regions to communicate with one another and help control movement, memory, thinking, and other everyday functions.
Damage to white matter can interrupt these signals and has been associated with problems such as cognitive decline, poor balance, falls, and stroke.
The study found an interesting pattern involving diastolic blood pressure. People whose diastolic pressure was below 80 had less white matter damage than people whose diastolic pressure was above 90. This suggests that the lower number in a blood pressure reading may deserve more attention when doctors consider a person’s long-term brain health.
The location of the brain damage also appeared to matter. The researchers found an especially strong relationship with lesions in the periventricular region, an area of white matter located near fluid-filled spaces called ventricles. Damage in this region has been linked to difficulties with thinking and memory.
One possible explanation involves the brain’s network of very small blood vessels. High blood pressure can gradually damage these vessels, making it harder for brain tissue to receive a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients. Over time, this may contribute to the small areas of injury that appear as white matter lesions on MRI scans.
These brain changes are not rare. White matter lesions become increasingly common with age, and many older adults have at least some of them even when they have no obvious symptoms. However, a greater amount of white matter damage has been associated with a higher risk of future problems involving memory, movement, and blood flow in the brain.
The findings do not mean that diastolic pressure is more important than systolic pressure for everyone. Blood pressure is complex, and both numbers matter when doctors assess cardiovascular health. Age, medical history, medications, and other health conditions can also affect what blood pressure range is safest for an individual.
The research does, however, offer another reason to take regular blood pressure checks seriously. Managing high blood pressure through appropriate medical care and healthy habits may protect more than the heart and arteries. It could also help protect the small blood vessels that keep the brain working properly as people age.
The study was published in the journal Stroke. The findings add to growing evidence that protecting blood vessel health throughout adulthood may be an important part of keeping the brain healthy later in life.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about dietary strategies to ward off dementia, and how omega-3 fatty acids fuel your mind.
For more health information, please see recent studies about Choline deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and what to eat (and avoid) for dementia prevention.
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