May 12, 2025 Story by: Editor
A new study from the University of Georgia reveals that Black Americans who suffer from both diabetes and hypertension in midlife face significantly higher levels of a key dementia biomarker more than a decade later—underscoring the critical link between cardiovascular health and brain aging.
Researchers in UGA’s Department of Sociology followed more than 250 Black adults diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or both. They discovered that while having either condition alone did not dramatically affect neurological health, the dual diagnosis was associated with marked increases in levels of phosphorylated tau—a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders—over an 11-year period.
“This study shows that chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, especially when combined, might start damaging the brain earlier than we thought,” said Rachael Weaver, a UGA sociology graduate student and the study’s corresponding author. “When these two conditions show up together in midlife, they can set off a chain reaction leading to brain aging a decade later.”
Black Americans historically exhibit cognitive decline at higher rates and younger ages compared with White Americans, making the identification of early risk factors essential to improve long-term health outcomes. “Taking steps early to control high blood pressure and diabetes may help protect Black Americans from brain degeneration and lower their risk of dementia later in life,” said Karlo Lei, an associate professor of sociology and co-author of the study.
The findings suggest that clinicians should monitor cardiovascular health not only to prevent heart attack and stroke but also as an indicator of potential future dementia. “Strategies aimed at preventing or slowing cognitive decline in Black Americans may need to prioritize management of vascular disease beginning in midlife,” said Mei Ling Ong, an associate research scientist with UGA’s Center for Family Research.
Socioeconomic factors further compound these health risks: nearly one in five study participants had less than a high school education, and many reported low incomes. “Health inequities like the ones we’re exploring are not inevitable—they’re systemic and preventable,” Weaver added. “Beyond early screening, we must address structural inequities that put Black Americans at higher risk.”
The research, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, involved co-authors from UGA’s Franklin College and Center for Family Research, including the late Regents Professor Ron Simons. As public health officials and clinicians consider these findings, the study reinforces the need for integrated approaches to heart and brain health—particularly in communities disproportionately affected by both cardiovascular disease and dementia.
Source: UGA Today
