Researchers have discovered that having high blood pressure during early adulthood is significantly associated with poor brain health during later years.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, or hypertension, refers to having higher-than-normal blood pressure levels. Normal levels do not go beyond 130/80 mmHg.
According to the CDC, around 47% of adults in the USA, roughly equivalent to 116 million people, are dealing with hypertension.
While the condition alone has been the focus of many studies, a recent study looked into how having hypertension during early adulthood may affect how the brain fares during later years.
How Having High Blood Pressure in 30s Harms the Brain in Later Years
Researchers compared the MRI scans of older adults with high blood pressure when they were 30 to 40 years old to those with normal blood pressure levels during these periods. The study was published in the JAMA Network Open Journal.
According to Science Daily, the researchers found that those with high blood pressure levels had significantly lower volumes across certain brain regions and worse integrity of white matter. These two factors are linked considerably with dementia.
CBS News also adds that some of these changes were less apparent in women than men. For instance, decreases in the frontal cortex and gray matter volumes were more substantial among men. The researchers add that these variations could be due to estrogen's protective premenopausal benefits.
The researchers examined 427 participant data sets from the KHANDLE (Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences) and STAR (Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans) studies. Through this, they obtained health data from 1964 through 1985. The cohorts were diverse, covering the oldest black, Asian, white, and Latino adults.
MRI scans of the participants were done between 2017 and 2022. This enabled the researchers to look for late-life neurodegenerative biomarkers and the integrity of white matter.
Unlike those with normal blood pressure levels, the scans of those with hypertension revealed lower cerebral gray matter and frontal cortex volumes. Fractional anisotropy, which is a brain connectivity measure, was also lower. Such scores were for men with high blood pressure compared to women.
However, due to their sample, the researchers could not examine the differences in race and ethnicity. Hence, they advise that interpretations of sex differences should be made with caution.
Moreover, the data from scans were only available at a particular point in late life. It may only point to physical variances but not provide concrete proof of neurodegeneration over time.
Health Management
Nevertheless, this study is another addition to the growing evidence regarding how early-adulthood cardiovascular conditions may affect brain health in later years.
Kristen M. George, the study's first author and an assistant professor from the Department of Public Health Sciences, notes that dementia treatments are remarkably narrow. Hence, to reduce the burden of disease, it is key to identify modifiable protective factors and risks.
Rachel Whitmer, the study's senior author and a professor in the Public Health Sciences and Neurology department and the Division of Epidemiology Chief, says that the study shows how important it is to take care of oneself in various life stages to age well. Professor Whitmer adds that heart health is equivalent to brain health.
Professor George also adds that high blood pressure is a treatable and prevalent risk factor linked to dementia. Their study shows that one's blood pressure status during early adulthood may significantly affect how their brain fares years later.
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