Study links rapid blood pressure swings to early brain degeneration in older adults
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New Delhi: Older adults experiencing frequent short-term fluctuations in blood pressure may face an increased risk of brain shrinkage and nerve cell damage, according to new research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The study highlights that “dynamic instability” in blood pressure, rapid changes occurring over minutes, is associated with reduced brain volume in areas critical for memory and cognition, as well as elevated levels of neurofilament light (NfL), a blood biomarker linked to nerve cell injury.
“Our findings show that even when average blood pressure is normal, instability from one heartbeat to the next may place stress on the brain,” said Professor Daniel Nation from the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
Researchers focused on two key indicators: Average Real Variability (ARV), which tracks systolic pressure changes between heartbeats, and the Arterial Stiffness Index (ASI), which measures how responsive arteries are to those changes. Together, these metrics reflect short-term blood flow fluctuations.
MRI scans of 105 healthy adults aged 55 to 89 revealed that individuals with high ARV and ASI had smaller hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volumes, regions first affected in Alzheimer’s disease. Their blood samples also showed elevated NfL levels, suggesting ongoing nerve cell damage.
The findings underscore the potential role of vascular ageing in cognitive decline and may inform future strategies for early intervention and prevention.
(Inputs from IANS)