A new study has revealed that cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, may lead to earlier cognitive decline in men, with significant impacts on brain health starting about a decade sooner than in women.
The research, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, highlights how heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are linked to reduced brain volume in areas critical for memory and emotional regulation.
“This study underscores the importance of managing cardiovascular health, particularly for men in their 40s and 50s,” said Dr. Jonathan Rasouli, a neurological surgeon who was not involved in the study. “The damage from high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes can start showing signs in the brain much earlier in men, leading to cognitive decline long before women experience similar effects.”
The study, based on data from 34,425 UK Biobank participants, found that men ages 55 to 74 were most vulnerable to brain shrinkage, particularly in the temporal lobes, areas responsible for processing auditory, visual, and emotional information while women typically showed similar declines around the ages of 65 to 74.
Researchers suggest that interventions targeting cardiovascular risk factors before the age of 55 could be crucial in preventing brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Mark A. Anton, a medical director at Slimz Weightloss, noted, “This research highlights how crucial it is to address obesity and cardiovascular health proactively in men to potentially mitigate early cognitive decline.”
As the study suggests, simple lifestyle changes such as improving diet, exercising, and controlling blood pressure could significantly reduce the risk of both cardiovascular disease and cognitive deterioration.
For men, prioritising heart health earlier in life is essential for safeguarding long-term brain function.
