Older adults with significant fluctuations in blood pressure may face a higher risk of Brain Shrinkage and nerve cell damage, according to a new study. The research, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, shows that short-term changes in blood pressure, measured over just minutes are linked to the loss of brain tissue in areas important for memory and thinking. These fluctuations also relate to blood markers of nerve cell injury.
Fast BP fluctuations cause Brain Shrinkage
“Our findings show that even when average blood pressure is normal, changes from one heartbeat to the next may stress the brain,” said Daniel Nation.
“These moment-to-moment shifts seem to connected to the same kinds of brain changes we observe in early neurodegeneration,” added the Professor of Gerontology and Medicine.
While high average blood pressure recognized as a risk factor for dementia, this study examines blood pressure variability, or how much blood pressure changes over short periods. Recent evidence suggests that these fluctuations can put pressure on small blood vessels in the brain, affects their ability to provide consistent blood flow.
Researchers study
In this study, researchers used two key measures: Average Real Variability (ARV) and Arterial Stiffness Index (ASI). ARV measures how much systolic blood pressure— the top number in a blood pressure reading—changes between heartbeats. ASI shows how flexible or stiff the arteries are in response to changes in pressure.
Combined, these measures reveal how much blood flow changes over a short time, which the researchers refer to as “blood pressure dynamic instability.” “This study show that high fluctuations leads to Brain Shrinkage,” Nation explained.
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