Better Brain Health Today Predicts Lower Blood Pressure Risk in the Future
New research reveals a crucial connection. Better cognitive function is linked to a lower future risk of developing high blood pressure. Scientists followed thousands of Hispanic/Latino adults for nearly six years. They found that sharper brain health predicts better heart health outcomes years later.
Key Findings from a Landmark Study
The study involved 6,755 adults who started without hypertension. All participants took neurocognitive tests at the beginning. The tests measured learning, memory, and executive function. After a median follow-up of 5.8 years, researchers checked their blood pressure. The results were striking.
By the second visit, 57% of the adults had developed hypertension. Each standard deviation increase in the global cognitive score mattered. It was associated with 15% lower odds of getting high blood pressure. This corresponds to a meaningful absolute risk difference of 1.9%.
The Role of Obesity as a Key Mediator
Researchers investigated what factors might explain this link. They looked at obesity, diet, physical activity, and smoking. Only one factor stood out as a significant mediator: obesity. In other words, better cognitive function may protect against hypertension partly by lowering the risk of obesity.
Word fluency, a key part of executive function, was particularly important. It was the only individual cognitive domain linked to hypertension risk. A low-quality diet was also a strong independent risk factor for hypertension. However, it did not explain the brain-blood pressure connection.
Practical Takeaways for Public Health
The study authors emphasize the population-level importance. The effect for an individual may be modest. However, improving cognitive health across a population could have a large public health impact. The findings suggest a new avenue for prevention.
“Interventions that enhance executive function, improve health literacy, or provide behavioral reinforcement may help,” the researchers wrote. These strategies could protect cognitively vulnerable groups from hypertension. The study was observational, so it cannot prove cause and effect. Yet, it highlights a promising target for keeping both the mind and heart healthy.
