Key result
Higher diastolic blood pressure at age 10 was associated with lower total brain and grey matter volumes at age 14 (β -0.04), while carotid intima-media thickness and distensibility showed no significant associations.
Why the study?
Previous studies linking arterial thickness, stiffness, and high blood pressure to poorer brain health focused largely on mid- or late-life, leaving it unknown whether arterial health-related brain changes are observable in adolescence.
Do arterial thickness, stiffness, and blood pressure at age 10 associate with brain morphology and white matter microstructure at age 14 in children?
Cohort (n=5,341)
Do arterial thickness, stiffness, and blood pressure at age 10 associate with brain morphology and white matter microstructure at age 14 in children?
Effect estimate: β -0.04 (95% CI -0.07;-0.01)
p-value: p=0.022
Elevated diastolic blood pressure in early adolescence is associated with reduced total and grey matter brain volumes, suggesting that subclinical vascular risk factors may impact structural brain development early in life.
Hypothesis-generating for diastolic BP effects on adolescent brain volumes; prospective studies needed before clinical implications.
Background Arterial wall thickness and stiffness and high blood pressure have been repeatedly associated with poorer brain health. However, previous studies largely focused on mid- or late-life stages. It is unknown whether any arterial health-related brain changes may be observable already in adolescence. Methods We examined whether (i) carotid intima-media thickness, (ii) carotid distensibility and (iii) systolic and diastolic blood pressure, measured at age 10, were associated with brain volumes and/or white matter microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) at age 14. In addition to cross-sectional analyses, we explored associations with longitudinal change in each brain outcome from 10 to 14 years. Analyses were based on 5341 children from the Generation R Study. Results Higher diastolic blood pressure was associated with lower total brain ( β [95%CI] = -0.04 [- 0.07;-0.01]) and grey matter volumes ( β [95%CI] = -0.04 [-0.07;-0.01]) at age 14 years, with stronger associations in higher diastolic blood pressure ranges. Similar associations emerged between systolic blood pressure and brain volumes but these were no longer significant after adjusting for birthweight. No associations were observed between blood pressure and white matter microstructure, nor between carotid intima-media thickness or distensibility and brain morphology. Conclusions Arterial blood pressure, but not intima-media thickness and distensibility, is associated with structural neuroimaging markers in early adolescence. Volumetric measures may be more sensitive to these early arterial health differences compared to microstructural properties of the white matter, but further studies are needed to confirm these results and assess potential causal mechanisms.
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Defina et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Healthy children (n=5,341). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, carotid intima-media thickness, and carotid distensibility vs. Lower blood pressure / normal arterial health was evaluated on Total brain volume and grey matter volume at age 14 (β -0.04, 95% CI -0.07;-0.01, p=0.022). Higher diastolic blood pressure at age 10 was associated with lower total brain and grey matter volumes at age 14 (β -0.04), while carotid intima-media thickness and distensibility showed no significant associations.
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