Prehypertension accelerates brain ageing by six months

The adverse effects of elevated blood pressure on accelerated brain ageing are seen in early adulthood, according to a study from The Australian National University (ANU).

Researchers examined more than 2,000 brain scans of 686 healthy individuals aged 44 to 76 and compared grey matter scores for brain ageing with BP measurements across a 12-year period. They found that those with ‘prehypertension’ (135/85 mmHg) had a ‘brain age’ six months older than people with optimal BP.

Lead author, Professor Nicolas Cherbuin, Head of the ANU Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, said the findings highlighted a particular concern for young people aged in their 20s and 30s because it takes time for the effects of increased blood pressure to impact the brain.

“By detecting the impact of increased blood pressure on the brain health of people in their 40s and older, we have to assume the effects of elevated blood pressure must build up over many years and could start in their 20s. This means that a young person’s brain is already vulnerable,” he said.

Cardiologist and co-author of the study, Professor Walter Abhayaratna, said the findings highlighted the importance of maintain optimal blood pressure through lifestyle and diet changes early in life.

“This thinking that one’s brain becomes unhealthy because of high blood pressure later in life is not completely true,” he said.

“It starts earlier and it starts in people who have normal blood pressure.”

The findings are published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

More can be done for dementia: just add information

An online information resource for people newly diagnosed with dementia and their carers has been launched.

Forward with Dementia has been developed by COGNISANCE, an international research collaboration including the University of NSW, the University of Sydney, and the University of Wollongong.

Project Leader Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty, Co-Director of UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), said people were often told that nothing could be done.

“People with dementia can live positively for many years. There are treatment strategies and we need to spread the word and assist diagnosticians and other health workers to improve their practice. By working together, we can help set people newly diagnosed with dementia on a better path.”

Website tools include a checklist of questions for people to ask their doctor, suggestions for how and when to share their diagnosis with family and friends, and planning tools to achieve their goals and overcome barriers caused by dementia symptoms.

Forward with Dementia is funded by the NHMRC and the European Union (EU) Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND).

RACP trainees receive legal warning on feedback reports

The RACP has warned trainees not to identify any peers or patients when submitting reports on ‘significant events’ that impacted on their medical professionalism as part of the personal reflection required  for training purposes.

The Commonwealth government has ruled that legal Qualified Privilege no longer applies to Professional Qualities Reflection (PQR) activities in Australia, which means that information and documents used in the reflections may be obtained and used in medicolegal actions.

The RACP says documents created before 1 October 2021 will continue to be protected from disclosure, but it “strongly advises de-identifying the names of patients, peers, persons or organisation(s) as well as any information entered in Professional Quality Reflection” after this date.

“If a trainee personally receives a Subpoena or a court order to reveal any Quality Assurance Activity Records, the College encourages them to seek legal advice regarding whether those records must be produced,” it advises.