A study at UC Davis has found uncontrolled high blood pressure damages the brain’s structure and function as early as young middle-age. Even the brains of middle-aged people who clinically would not be considered to have hypertension have evidence of silent structural brain damage.
What Research Says
The investigation found accelerated brain aging among hypertensive and pre-hypertensive individuals in their 40s, including damage to the structural integrity of the brain’s white matter and the volume of its gray matter, suggesting that vascular brain injury “develops gradually over the lifetime with discernible effects.”
The study is the first to demonstrate that there is structural damage to the brains of adults in young middle age because of high blood pressure. Structural damage to the brain’s white matter caused by high blood pressure previously has been associated with cognitive decline in older individuals.
Normal vs. Abnormal
Normal blood pressure is considered a systolic blood pressure — the top number — below 120 and a diastolic pressure — the bottom number — below 80. Pre-hypertensive blood pressure range is a top number between 120 and 139 and a bottom number between 80 and 89. Blood pressures above 140 over 90 are considered high.
Elevated blood pressure affects approximately 50 million Americans and is associated with a 62 percent risk of cerebrovascular disease, such as ischemic stroke, and a 49 percent risk of cardiovascular disease. It is the single-greatest risk factor for mortality in the United States. Earlier studies have identified associations between elevated blood pressure and a heightened risk of brain injury and atrophy leading to reduced cognitive performance and a greater likelihood of dementia, making hypertension an important, modifiable risk factor for late-life cognitive decline.
The Outcome
There is evidence, the study says, that lowering blood pressure among people in middle age and in the young elderly can help prevent late-life cognitive decline and dementia.
Get Your Blood Pressure Under Control
There are many ways you can get your blood under control without the use of medication:
1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline.
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce your blood pressure. In general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure.
2. Exercise regularly.
Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). And it doesn’t take long to see a difference. If you haven’t been active, increasing your exercise level can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks.
3. Eat a healthy diet.
Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.
4. Reduce sodium in your diet.
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. Try to limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. To decrease sodium in your diet, trying keeping a food journal, reading food labels, eating fewer processed foods like potato chips and frozen dinners, and lastly, just don’t add salt. Use herbs or spices, rather than salt, to add more flavor to your foods.
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
There’s more potential harm than benefit to drinking alcohol. If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points and it can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.
6. Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke.
On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the day means your blood pressure may remain constantly high.
7. Cut back on caffeine.
Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily cause a spike in your blood pressure. Too much caffeine restricts blood flow to the brain, dehydrates the brain, body and skin, and fools the brain into thinking it does not need to sleep.
8. Reduce your stress.
Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress. Try taking breaks for deep-breathing exercises. Get a massage or take up yoga or meditation.
We Can Help
You CAN change your brain, and change your life. At Amen Clinics, we want to help you. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit here to schedule an appointment.
Do you floss regularly? Brush your teeth after every meal? If you do, you might be preventing more than just cavities and gum disease.
A study found that people who keep their teeth and gums healthy with regular brushing may have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life.
What Research Says
Researchers at University of California that followed nearly 5,500 elderly people over an 18-year-period found that those who reported brushing their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed daily.
Why?
Inflammation stoked by gum disease-related bacteria is implicated in a host of conditions including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Some studies have also found that people with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, have more gum disease-related bacteria in their brains than a person without Alzheimer’s. It’s thought that gum disease bacteria might get into the brain, causing inflammation and brain damage.
The Results
All were free of dementia at the outset, when they answered questions about their dental health habits, the condition of their teeth and whether they wore dentures. When the researchers followed up 18 years later, they used interviews, medical records and in some cases death certificates to determine that 1,145 of the original group had been diagnosed with dementia.
Of 78 women who said they brushed their teeth less than once a day in 1992, 21 had dementia by 2010, or about one case per 3.7 women.
In comparison, among those who brushed at least once a day, closer to one in every 4.5 women developed dementia which translates to a 65-percent greater chance of dementia among those who brushed less than daily.
Men vs. Women
Among the men, the effect was less pronounced with about one in six irregular brushers developing the disease, making them 22 percent more likely to have dementia than those who brushed daily. Statistically, however, the effect was so small it could have been due to chance, the researchers said.
Can Other Factors Contribute?
Head injury and malnutrition are also important causes of tooth loss in adults, and either of those might increase the dementia risk, said Amber Watts, who studies dementia at the University of Kansas and wasn’t part of the study.
It’s probably a bit of a stretch to say that by brushing your teeth you will not develop Alzheimer’s Disease, but certainly keeping a good dental hygiene regimen is never a bad idea.
We Can Help
Did you know that despite the natural aging process, you have a choice in how fast your brain ages? Your behavior and habits can speed up or slow down the rate at which your brain declines with age. Being mentally and physically active, eating nutritious foods and avoiding unhealthy habits can help you maintain optimal brain health and ward off dementia.
The best way to sharpen recall, reduce brain atrophy, and eliminate all the risk factors that steal the mind is with a BRIGHT MINDS approach, which addresses memory problems, aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
To learn more about Amen Clinics Memory Program based on Dr. Amen’s BRIGHT MINDS approach, check it out HERE, or call 888-288-9834.
Do those with more pep in their step live longer?
What Research Says
Studies show that after age 65, one strong predictor of longevity is walking speed. Those who can still walk at a decent pace after age 75, have an even better chance of living even longer.
An 80-year-old man who clocks 1 mph has a 10% probability of reaching 90, while a woman of the same age walking at that pace has a 23% chance. Now let’s assume this pair is hoofing it a little faster at a speed of 3.5 mph. Now, the 80-year-old man has 84% probability of reaching 90, while a woman would have an 86% chance.
Better Than Happy Pills
If you’re prone to anxiety and depression, exercise is one of the best natural treatments that exists—and it’s free! Exercise activates the same pathways in the brain as morphine and increases the release of endorphins, your natural feel-good neurotransmitters.
A depression study compared the benefits of exercise to those of the prescription drug, Zoloft. After 12 weeks, the exercise proved equally effective as Zoloft in curbing depression. And after 10 months, exercise surpassed the effects of the drug with zero negative side effects! Exercise is not only a fountain of youth but also the closest thing to a happy pill that you will ever find.
Turn Back Your Biological Clock
According to research done at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and declines in cognitive function over time. Those at the 90th percentile of muscle strength had about a 61 percent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those in the 10th percentile.
Exercise improves telomere maintenance by increasing the activity of the enzyme telomerase that builds and repairs telomeres.
What Is a Telomere?
Telomeres are the part of your chromosomes that control aging. They represent your biological clock.
When you are young your telomeres are longer and progressively shorten with age. But the rate at which that shortening occurs is directly influenced by lifestyle choices. So at any age, healthier individuals have longer telomeres than their unhealthy counterparts.
We Can Help
If you or someone you know needs help getting back on track, we would love to speak with you today. Please reach out at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit.
