ATHENS, GA — A new study from the University of Georgia finds that Black Americans diagnosed with both diabetes and high blood pressure in midlife face a significantly increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
Researchers examined data from more than 250 Black Americans, focusing on health factors during their 40s and 50s and how they impact brain health in later years.
Rachael Weaver, co-author of the study, said the findings highlight the long-term impact of midlife health. “Midlife matters,” she said. “What happens in our 40s and 50s can shape brain aging into our 60s and 70s.”
Weaver noted that the combination of both conditions, not each individually, was associated with the increased dementia risk. “It just emphasizes that when these two conditions show up together in midlife, they might start a chain reaction leading to brain aging even over a decade later.”
She is now researching whether similar patterns hold true in other racial and ethnic groups.
WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story
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