They may impact risk for Alzheimer's later in life
(weight and physical activity)
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"Vascular risk factors affect our brain's and our ability to think even in middle life and we need to focus on treating these things if we are going to have a healthy mind and body," says study author Dr. Charles DeCarli. Eating healthy and exercising are important but if you develop hypertension and if you develop diabetes, the most important thing is to treat them, he adds.Researchers looked at 1,352 people from the Framingham Offspring Study. Participants received body mass index measurements, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes tests, as well as brain MRI scans. If patients had previously experienced a stroke or dementia they were excluded.Identifying and understanding these how these risk factors play a role in accelerating the aging process might make someone with hypertension, for example, more likely to seek treatment earlier, says DeCarli.
"People need to understand what they are setting themselves up for later in life," says Dr. Maria Carrillo, a senior director at the Alzheimer's Association. "Anything that actually compromises cardiovascular health has the potential for comprising their brain health.". Continue to read: foxreno.com