Heart Risks and Early Brain Decline in Men: A Gender Divide

A study highlights that men with risk factors for heart disease, like obesity and high blood pressure, experience earlier brain health decline, especially between ages 55-74, compared to women who face similar issues a decade later. The research emphasizes the significance of addressing cardiovascular risks early to prevent neurodegeneration.

Men with heart disease risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure may face earlier declines in brain health, roughly a decade before women with similar risks, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, found men are most vulnerable to brain shrinkage between the ages 55 and 74, whereas women experience susceptibility primarily from ages 65 to 74. Areas of the brain involved in processing auditory, visual, and emotional information, as well as memory, were identified as particularly at risk.

Published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, the research underscores the critical need to tackle cardiovascular risks before age 55 to forestall neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's, while also mitigating potential heart attacks and strokes. The study analyzed data from over 34,400 UK Biobank participants with both abdominal and brain scans and highlighted significant connections between abdominal fat and reduced brain grey matter volume.

(With inputs from agencies.)