Key Highlights :
Having high blood pressure in your 30s is associated with worse brain health around age 75, especially for men, according to a new UC Davis study. The study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that men who had high blood pressure in their 30s were more than three times as likely to have worse cognitive function in their 75s as men who did not have high blood pressure.
"Our study provides the first evidence that high blood pressure in middle age is associated with worse cognitive function in older age," said study author Dr. Suneil K. Mehta, a professor of epidemiology at UC Davis School of Medicine. "This finding underscores the importance of early detection and treatment of hypertension in middle-aged adults."
The study looked at data from more than 7,000 men and women who participated in the Health and Retirement Study. Participants were asked about their blood pressure and cognitive function at three different points in their lives: in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The study found that those with high blood pressure in their 30s were more than three times as likely to have worse cognitive function in their 75s as men who did not have high blood pressure.
"Our results suggest that treating hypertension in middle-aged adults could have significant benefits for their overall health and well-being, not just their blood pressure," Mehta said. "More research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the best way to treat hypertension in middle-aged adults."
The study's authors say that the findings underscore the importance of early detection and treatment of hypertension in middle-aged adults. "Our findings suggest that treating hypertension in middle-aged adults could have significant benefits for their overall health and well-being, not just their blood pressure," Mehta said. "More research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the best way to treat hypertension in middle-aged adults."