by Mitti Hicks
May 12, 2025
A new study found there is a chain reaction for Black Americans diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in midlife. Researchers from the University of Georgia study found that Black Americans are diagnosed with both conditions have a greater risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
A new study found that there is a chain reaction for Black Americans diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in midlife. Researchers from the University of Georgia study found that Black Americans who are diagnosed with both conditions have a greater risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Researchers analyzed more than 252 middle-aged Black Americans enrolled in the Family and Community Health Study living in either Georgia or Iowa. Participants diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, or both had their blood drawn between 2008 and 2019. Nearly 10 years later, researchers found these participants with both conditions had significantly higher levels of a dementia-related biomarker more than 10 years later.
“This study shows that chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, especially when combined together, might start damaging the brain earlier than we thought, especially for this group,” Rachael Weaver, corresponding author of the study and a graduate student in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of sociology,” released in a statement.
Cardiovascular Health Is Also An Indicator Of Alzheimer’s Disease
According to researchers, diabetes and hypertension are not the only indicators of degenerative brain diseases in the future. Cardiovascular health also plays a significant role. While having any one of these diagnoses alone does not indicate a dramatic neurological effect, having both leads to striking results.
“The study sends a clear message: Taking steps early to control high blood pressure and diabetes may help protect African Americans from brain degeneration and lower their risk of dementia later in life,” Karlo Lei, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Franklin College department of sociology, added.
When compared to other racial-ethnic groups, Black Americans show accelerated brain aging beginning in midlife. They also exhibit higher rates and earlier onset of dementia and are ultimately more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.
Early intervention for these chronic health conditions could significantly protect brain health and reduce the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases for African Americans later in life.
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