High blood pressure in early adulthood is associated with worse brain health in late life.
According to a new study, men, compared to women, may be more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of high blood pressure on the brain for some brain regions.
The research, published in JAMA Network Open, compared MRI brain scans of older adults who had high blood pressure between the ages of 30 to 40 with older adults who had normal blood pressure.
The researchers found that the high blood pressure group had significantly lower regional brain volumes and worse white matter integrity. Both factors are associated with dementia.
High blood pressure is an incredibly common and treatable risk factor associated with dementia. This study indicates hypertension status in early adulthood is important for brain health decades later.
