Hypertension and Brain Health — How High Blood Pressure Damages Your Brain

Nearly half of U.S. adults have undiagnosed hypertension, which increases risks for stroke, heart attack, and early brain impairment due to reduced oxygen and nutrient delivery to neural tissue Early hypertension triggers rapid cellular damage, including endothelial aging, neuronal energy loss, myelin disruption, and blood-brain barrier leakage, all of which accelerate inflammation and cognitive decline even before symptoms appear Long-term high blood pressure leads to changes such as white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and brain volume loss. These findings are strongly linked to slower processing, stroke risk, and dementia Dementia risk rises with midlife hypertension, and older adults with high...