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Feeling the Pressure

Combination of brain scans, cognitive function and genetic data identify brain structures associated with blood pressure changes

22 April 2023

Feeling the Pressure

Exacerbated by lifestyle factors like poor diets and insufficient exercise, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common problem thought to affect around a third of us worldwide. Putting our organs under strain, persistent hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, along with impaired cognition and dementia. To better understand how hypertension impacts brain function, a recent study used a database of information from thousands of patients to investigate links between genetic data, blood pressure, properties of the brain and fluid intelligence, a measure of problem-solving and flexible thinking ability. Using MRI scans, researchers identified brain areas most affected by hypertension (pictured in yellow, with especially sensitive sections in red), and among these, areas in which blood pressure-related changes are associated with reduced cognitive function. Knowing which parts of the brain to target could facilitate the use of brain imaging to assess patients’ risk of developing dementia.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

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