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Can hypertension lead to mental decline? Learn about the connection between your blood pressure and mental health.

According to recent studies, having high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) may affect your brain health. In fact, these studies suggest that experiencing hypertension as a young adult can increase your risk for future mental decline.

Previous studies show that hypertension can affect the brain’s blood vessels and impact their structure and function. As a result, hypertension can cause damage in the brain’s regions that are essential for thinking and memory skills.

“There are studies to suggest changes to the brain may start at a young age,” says Dr. Christina Lineback, study lead author and a vascular neurology fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. “Our study provides further evidence that high blood pressure during young adulthood may contribute to changes in the brain later in life.”

The Study

Your Blood Pressure and Mental HealthAs part of the study, Lineback’s team analyzed 30 years of data taken from 142 participants in a long-term coronary artery disease risk study in the U.S. In this study, participants had MRI brain imaging at two different ages: first, at about age 30 and then at about age 55.

According to the research, participants with hypertension from age 25 to 55 had more visible changes in their second MRI. Based on this, the researchers suggest these participants may have a higher risk for thinking and memory problems.

Furthermore, the findings show that the hypertension-related brain changes are similar across all ethnicities and races. These findings are scheduled for presentation Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at a meeting of the American Stroke Association.

The Connection

Lineback notes that while the study observes an association between hypertension and brain changes, it doesn’t prove it. In other words, more research is necessary to definitively make these conclusions.

Nevertheless, Lineback adds that these findings “should encourage health care professionals to aggressively address high blood pressure in young adults, as a potential target to narrow disparities in brain health.” 

Hypertension affects more than 47% of U.S. adults and it’s a significant risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease. To prevent heart disease, we must effectively deal with the various risk factors that lead up to it.

The Outlook

L-arginine PlusWhile the study shows an association between high blood pressure and mental decline, more research is necessary to prove it. However, regardless of the connection, it’s a fact that hypertension will negatively impact your health if not managed properly.

For this reason, it’s important that you exercise regularly, eat healthily, and take heart supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients are effective at promoting nitric oxide, a natural molecule that dilates blood vessels and improves circulation.

If you’re ready to give your mind and heart health the support they deserve, then reduce your blood pressure and take L-arginine Plus.