Hypertension (illustration). High blood pressure is a very common and treatable risk factor for dementia.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — High blood pressure (hypertension) in your 30s has been linked to poorer brain health at later ages, such as those in your 70s. It was found mainly in men, according to a new study.
Hypertension has indeed been associated with an increased risk dementia at a later time. But a UC Davis study found that treating hypertension in your 30s can help prevent dementia later in life.
Studies compare brain scans magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) older adults who have high blood pressure between the ages of 30 to 40 years with older adults and normal blood pressure. The researchers found the high blood pressure group had significantly lower regional brain volumes and poorer white matter integrity.
Both of these factors are associated with dementia. Research also shows that negative brain changes in several areas, such as decreased gray matter volume and frontal cortex volume, are stronger in men. In addition, differences were noted related to the protective benefits of estrogen before menopause.
“Treatment for dementia is very limited, so identifying modifiable risks and protective factors over the course of life is key to reducing the disease burden,” said first author Kristen M. George, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. ExpressTuesday (10/4/2023).
High blood pressure is a very common and treatable risk factor for dementia. This study shows that hypertension status in early adulthood is important for brain health decades later.
The researchers looked at data from 427 participants from the “Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE)” and “Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR)” studies. There are health data from 1964 to 1985 for diverse groups of Asian, Black, Latino, and white adults.
Two blood pressure readings were obtained from when the participants were between the ages of 30 and 40. This makes it possible to determine the likelihood that a person will develop hypertension, transition to hypertension, or have normal blood pressure in young adulthood.
MRI scans performed between 2017 and 2022 which is possible to search biomarker neuroimaging end of neurodegeneration and white matter integrity. The researchers note that because the sample size of participants cannot account for differences in race and ethnicity, they recommend interpreting the results regarding sex differences with caution.
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