A recent study from the University of California, Davis, said that high blood pressure in the 30s is associated with poor brain health at the age of 75, especially in males.
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 ، وAfrican American Study of Healthy Aging.
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 regarding 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.