An 'optimal' blood pressure can help keep your brain young and sprightly

According to new research by the Australian National University, high or normal blood pressure places individuals at risk of accelerated brain ageing. Inversely, optimal blood pressure can help brains stay six months younger than one’s chronological age. The study was published in Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience.

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Normal blood pressure is defined by pressure below 120/80, whereas an optimal and healthier blood pressure is closer to 110/70. The ANU team in collaboration with colleagues in Australia, New Zealand and Germany, examined more than 2,000 brain scans of 686 healthy individuals. The blood pressure of the participants was measured up to four times across a 12-year period.

The ANU study found that participants with high blood pressure had older and therefore less healthy brains, increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia. Researchers also found that participants with the elevated blood pressure but within the normal range too had older-looking brains and were at risk of health problems.

If optimal blood pressure is maintained, brains will remain younger and healthier, researchers concluded. Findings show the need for everyone including young people to check their blood pressure regularly.

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