Some of the health issues faced by a person in their 20s may lead to problems with thinking, memory skills and the brain’s ability to properly regulate its blood flow as they grow older, new research suggests.
Health issues such as smoking, high cholesterol or a high body mass index (BMI) in one’s youth, may make them more likely to have a weak brain in older age.
“These results indicate that people need to pay close attention to their health even in their early 20s,” said study author Dr Farzaneh A Sorond of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Studied for 30 years over the course, the team assessed cardiovascular health based on five factors — smoking, BMI, blood pressure, total cholesterol and fasting blood glucose level.
The researchers found that people with better cardiovascular health at the beginning of the study were more likely to have higher scores on the tests of thinking and memory skills 30 years later than those with worse cardiovascular health.
The results were the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect thinking and memory skills, such as level of education. (ANI)
