May 11, 2021
MONDAY, May 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) Elevated systolic blood pressure, high serum total cholesterol, and obesity from childhood through adulthood are inversely associated with midlife cognitive performance, according to a study published online May 10 in
Circulation.
Juuso O. Hakala, M.D., from the University of Turku in Finland, and colleagues examined cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to midlife, their accumulation, and midlife cognitive performance in a population-based cohort of 3,596 children (ages 3 to 18 years) who were repeatedly followed up for 31 years from 1980. A computerized test was used to perform cognitive testing in 2,026 participants at ages 34 to 49 years.
The researchers found that compared with consistently low values, consistently high systolic blood pressure and serum total cholesterol correlated with worse midlife episodic memory and associative learning. Compared with normal weight, obesity since childhood correlated with worse v
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Managing children’s weight, blood pressure & cholesterol protects brain function mid-life
American Heart AssociationMay 10, 2021 GMT
Research Highlights:
Having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or obesity from childhood through middle age were linked to poorer brain function by middle age.
These cardiovascular risk factors were linked with low memory, learning, visual processing, attention span, and reaction and movement time.
Strategies to prevent heart disease and stroke should begin in childhood to promote better brain health by middle age.
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DALLAS, May 10, 2021 Managing weight, blood pressure and cholesterol in children may help protect brain function in later life, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal
Circulation. This is the first study to highlight that cardiovascular risk factors accumulated from childhood through mid-life may influence poor cognitive performance at midlife.
Previous research has indicated that nearly 1 in 5 people older than 60 have at least mild loss of brain function. Cognitive deficits are known to be linked with cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet, as well as depression and low education level.
Cardiovascular risk factors accumulated from childhood linked to poorer brain function at midlife
Managing weight, blood pressure and cholesterol in children may help protect brain function in later life, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association s flagship journal
Circulation. This is the first study to highlight that cardiovascular risk factors accumulated from childhood through mid-life may influence poor cognitive performance at midlife.
Previous research has indicated that nearly 1 in 5 people older than 60 have at least mild loss of brain function. Cognitive deficits are known to be linked with cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet, as well as depression and low education level.