Cardiac Risks May Accelerate Mental Decline

Midlife cardiovascular risk factors are associated with brain deterioration and a decline in mental function in older adults.

In a study published in the journal Neurology, scientists from the University of California, Davis, examined 1,352 men and women, aged 45 to 63, and recorded rates of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and other risks.

The researchers also conducted brain scans on participants and administered several widely used tests of mental ability. No participant showed symptoms of dementia at the start of the study.

In follow-up exams, performed seven to 13 years later, researchers found that high blood pressure at the beginning of the study was linked to a greater emergence of white matter areas in the scan results, a sign of brain deterioration.

Midlife diabetes was linked to a greater annual increase in the size of the lateral ventricles, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease in old age. And those with an increased waist-to-hip ratio had a significant decline in total brain volume over time.

Obese individuals with hypertension showed poorer performance on memory tests and mental abilities, even after controlling for baseline cognitive performance, according to the researchers.

Controlling diseases considered "age-related" (if such a term can be acceptable, it is worth reflecting on) will make your brain function better!

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