And high blood pressure occurs when it exceeds the normal range, which is less than 130/80 mm Hg. It is widely spread, and neglecting it leads to greater health problems that reach the point of stroke.
How was the study done?
- Compare research, published in JAMA Network OpenMRI scans (MRI) For people between the ages of 30 and 40 who have high blood pressure, with those who have normal blood pressure, at the same age.
- The researchers looked at data from 427 participants in previous studies Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences, and African American Study of Healthy Aging.
- These studies provided researchers with health data between 1964 and 1985 for a diverse group of older adults, including Asians, Hispanics, whites and people of African descent.
- The researchers focused on two blood pressure readings when the participants were between the ages of 30 and 40.
- This allowed them to determine whether they had high blood pressure, had entered the hypertensive phase, or had normal blood pressure in their youth..
Results
- Compared to participants with normal blood pressure, brain scans of those transitioning to high blood pressure or who already had high blood pressure showed reduced cerebral gray matter volume, frontal cortex volume, and partial asymmetry (a measure of brain connectivity).
- The researchers found that the high blood pressure group had significantly lower brain volumes, while their white matter integrity was worse. Both factors are linked to dementia.
- The research also showed that negative brain changes in some areas — such as decreased gray matter volume and frontal cortex volume — were stronger in men.
- He noted that the differences may be related to the protective benefits of estrogen in premenopausal women.
What did the researchers say?
- Study co-author Christine George said: “Treatment for dementia is very limited, so identifying modifiable risk factors and protective factors throughout life is key to reducing the burden of disease.“.
- Christine George: “High blood pressure is an incredibly common and treatable risk factor associated with dementia. This study suggests that the state of high blood pressure in early adulthood is important for brain health decades later.“.
- Senior author of the study, Rachel Whitmer, said: “This study really shows the importance of early life risk factors, and that to age well, you have to take care of yourself throughout life – heart health is brain health.”
- Witmer: “We’re excited to be able to follow these participants and discover more about what one can do in early life to set yourself up for healthy brain aging in later life.”
The study joins a growing body of evidence that cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood impair brain health in later life..
It is noteworthy that the researchers noted that due to the sample size, they were unable to examine racial and ethnic differences, and recommended that the results related to gender differences be interpreted with caution.
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