Scientists have identified a link between daily pressure fluctuations and deterioration of brain function
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- Scientists have identified a link between daily pressure fluctuations and deterioration of brain function
Frequent fluctuations in blood pressure during the day worsen cognitive functions and can lead to structural changes in the brain associated with the risk of dementia, researchers at Australia's Monash University have found. This was reported on May 25 in the journal Medical Xpress.
"Our study shows that changes in the brain associated with pressure can begin long before the first signs of memory or thinking disorders appear. Even a moderate increase in blood pressure variability corresponded to a decrease in cognitive test results, equivalent to about seven years of additional aging," said Madeline Gibson, the first author of the work, a graduate student in clinical neuropsychology.
The study involved 225 Australians aged 55 to 80 years. During the day, their blood pressure was continuously monitored using special monitors. Scientists from the Turner Institute for the Study of the Brain and Mental Health have established: High pressure variability is associated with poor planning, problem solving, and memory.
Increased average blood pressure over a 24-hour period was additionally associated with signs of vascular brain damage. Possible mechanisms include damage to the white matter tracts and impaired function of the blood-brain barrier, the protective filter of the brain. The head of the study, Professor Matthew Pace, stressed that a one-time measurement of blood pressure at a doctor's appointment does not give a complete picture of the patient's condition.
"Blood pressure is dynamic: it rises and falls during the day and night, and these fluctuations can carry important information about brain health," he noted.
Gibson also pointed out the particular importance of middle age as a period when intervention can be most effective. At the same time, the question of whether controlling pressure variability allows you to slow down or reverse structural changes in the brain remains open.
On February 19, Medical Xpress magazine reported on the dangers of a fiber-free diet for memory. According to the study, the effect of eating highly processed foods can appear as early as three days after the start of maintaining an appropriate diet.
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