The condition of your blood vessels may determine a lot about the health of your brain, according to new research.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that a variety of factors including smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes — all conditions that affect your blood vessels or vascular risk factors — may also hurt your brain.
Over time, these factors may lead to brain clickbet88 bola deterioration and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
This new study published March 11 looked at the MRI scans of brains from 9,772 people between the ages of 44 and 79.
Specifically, the researchers, who were led by Simon Cox, PhD, a senior research associate at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, examined connections between seven vascular risk factors — smoking, hypertension, pulse pressure, diabetes, [high cholesterol], body mass index (BMI), and waist-hip ratio — and structures of the brain responsible for complex thinking. These areas are known to deteriorate as dementia develops.
To determine the impact of these vascular risk factors on brains, the researchers compared brain scans from people of similar head size, age, and sex.
They found that smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes were the three vascular risk factors with the most consistent connections to brain atrophy and loss of both grey and white brain matter.
The researchers were able to use the brain scans to quantify exactly how much brain matter is lost when these vascular risk factors are present.
People with the highest vascular risk had around 18 milliliters (ml), or nearly 3 percent, less volume of gray matter compared to people without the risk factors.
Grey matter is brain tissue on the surface of the brain that houses most of the neurons. Neurons send messages through your brain to your body. When they’re impaired, your reactions and processing slow down.
Additionally, these scans showed that individuals with vascular risk had one-and-a-half times the damage to their white matter compared to people without the risks.
White matter is deeper in the brain than gray matter. It naturally declines with age, but previous research has shown that white matter loss is linked to slower thought processing and reduced executive functioning. Vascular risk factors may speed up this loss.
The study also found that damage to the brains wasn’t even across the whole of the brain. Indeed, specific areas were more likely to be affected by the atrophy, and these areas have significant impacts on cognitive health.
“It’s never too late to improve your brain health,” Lainey Younkin, MS, RD, LDN, registered dietitian and founder of Lainey Younkin Nutrition, told Healthline. These tips may help improve your physical health, your brain health, and your cognitive abilities.
Move more
Aim for 150 minutes or more of aerobic exercise each week. If you’ve not been moving regularly, don’t worry.
Merrill pointed out that one study found sedentary older adults who participated in a new habit of walking regularly for one year showed significant improvements in memory performance that also related to growth of memory areas in the brain.
Build muscle
Aerobic exercise coupled with strength training at least two times per week has been shown to improve heart health, according to Merrill. “We now know that these activities in all likelihood also improve brain health,” he said.
Eat a heart-healthy diet
“In addition to eating brain-boosting foods like blueberries, nuts, and fatty fish, cut back on frozen meals, take out, deli meat, and cheese, which are some of the highest sources of sodium in the American diet that can drive up blood pressure,” Younkin said.
She added that there are clear guidelines for how to approach each meal.
“Aim to make half your plate non-starchy vegetables and a quarter of your plate whole grains,” she said. “The increase in fiber and decrease in ‘empty’ carbohydrates will help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your blood sugar stable.”
Be more mindful
Anxiety and stress take a toll on your mental health, but they can also impact your physical and brain health, too. Regular meditation or a mindfulness practice may help reduce the risk of worsening vascular health.
Sleep tight
Poor or inadequate sleep is associatedTrusted Source with worsening health and vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and weight gain.
Your brain needs those “off” hours to help clean up neurons and synapses and make memories. When you don’t get quality sleep, your brain health and your physical health are significantly impacted.
Use your brain
“Remaining cognitively active through social activities, like attending a book club or taking a cooking class, may help slow down or stave off the development of memory loss and associated depression with aging,” Merrill said.
Watch your blood pressure
Check your blood pressure regularly, or at least every six months. Watch for signs of a creeping increase.
“This study indicates that the 2017 high blood pressure guidelines, which state that high blood pressure is now defined as a blood pressure greater than 130/90, is on the money,” Mintz said. “The new guidelines for high blood pressure will help us recognize people at earlier ages who are at risk for lifelong high blood pressure.”