Why the study?
Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, but when it starts impacting cerebral health is less clear.
Does increasing blood pressure accelerate brain aging in cognitively intact individuals?
Population
335 middle-age (44-46 years) and 351 older-age (60-64 years) cognitively intact individuals
Comparison
Changes in blood pressure over time
Design
Longitudinal cohort study
Follow-up
12 years
Key result
Every 10 mmHg increase in mean arterial pressure above 90 mmHg was associated with a 65.7-day higher estimated brain age in cognitively intact adults.
Authors
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BP changes may link to poorer brain health from middle age; leaves open need for prospective trials before practice implications.
Cohort (n=686)
Does increasing blood pressure accelerate brain aging in cognitively intact individuals?
Effect estimate: 0.018 years higher BrainAGE per 1 mmHg increase in mean arterial pressure (95% CI 0.008-0.029)
p-value: p=<0.001
Increasing blood pressure, even below the hypertensive range, is associated with accelerated brain aging and poorer brain health over a 12-year period.
Cherbuin et al. (2021) conducted a cohort in Elevated blood pressure (n=686). Elevated blood pressure vs. Optimal blood pressure was evaluated on BrainAGE (estimated brain age minus chronological age) (0.018 years higher BrainAGE per 1 mmHg increase in mean arterial pressure, 95% CI 0.008-0.029, p=<0.001). Every 10 mmHg increase in mean arterial pressure above 90 mmHg was associated with a 65.7-day higher estimated brain age in cognitively intact adults.
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