A recent study found that adolescents with high blood pressure and arterial stiffness may have trouble with cognitive functions. The study showed that young people with higher blood pressure performed worse on tasks measuring attention and learning, and those with arterial stiffness had weaker working memory. This emphasizes the importance of preventing high blood pressure and arterial stiffness in children and teenagers.
This study was conducted at the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland. It found that young people with higher blood pressure tended to perform worse on tasks that measured attention and learning, and also had weaker working memory due to arterial stiffness. These findings highlight the importance of preventing high blood pressure and arterial stiffness in childhood and adolescence. It is known that poor arterial health can lead to cognitive decline in adults, but there is limited knowledge about this connection in adolescents. This study aimed to fill that gap.The study aimed to investigate the link between arterial stiffness, blood pressure, and cognitive function in adolescents, as well as any differences in these associations between girls and boys. The study also looked into the potential impact of physical activity and sedentary time on these associations.
The findings revealed that higher blood pressure had a more significant impact on the brain health of girls. Adolescents with elevated blood pressure experienced difficulties with attention, learning, and overall cognitive function. Additionally, higher pulse wave velocity, which indicates arterial stiffness, was linked to poorer working memory.
Interestingly, girls with elevated blood pressure showed a negative association with cognitive function, suggesting a potentially greater vulnerability to the effects of high blood pressure on brain health. The study highlighted the importance of monitoring blood pressure and arterial stiffness in adolescents and addressing any potential cognitive impacts, particularly in girls.Girls have a closer link with a wider range of cognitive functions compared to boys. On the other hand, boys with higher arterial stiffness showed improved attention and working memory. These connections were not affected by physical activity or sedentary time.
Researcher Petri Jalanko from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä emphasized the importance of preventing high blood pressure and arterial stiffening to support cognitive and brain health in young people, despite the contradictory associations observed in the study.Joint stiffness has been found to have a connection to cognitive function. However, in order to definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the health of the arteries and brain function, and to determine whether increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary time can offset the negative effects of poor arterial health on cognition, further randomized controlled trials with appropriate control groups and advanced brain imaging techniques are needed.”
The research used cross-sectional data from the eight-year follow-up assessments of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. A total of 116 adolescents (45 girls and 71 boys) took part in the study.The average age of the participants was 15.9 years old. Their systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured with an aneroid sphygmomanometer. Pulse wave velocity was measured using impedance cardiography, and carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery distensibility were measured with carotid ultrasonography. The CogState test battery was used to evaluate cognition, including attention, working memory, and learning tests. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured with a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor.
