A study in Physiological Reports reveals that adolescents with high blood pressure and stiff arteries tend to have poorer cognitive functions. Young people with elevated blood pressure performed worse in attention and learning tasks, while those with stiffer arteries exhibited weaker working memory.
While previous studies linked arterial health and cognitive decline in adults, little is known about this in adolescents, a critical period for brain development. The study examined if physical activity or sedentary behavior influenced these associations and any differences between boys and girls.
Using data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study in Kuopio, Finland, the study involved 116 adolescents with complete data on arterial health, cognitive function, and physical activity. Arterial stiffness was measured by pulse wave velocity, and cognitive function by the CogState test battery. Physical activity and sedentary time were tracked using a heart rate and movement sensor.
Key findings showed that higher systolic blood pressure was linked to poorer cognitive function, specifically in attention and learning, even after accounting for various factors. Higher arterial stiffness was associated with weaker working memory.
Physical activity or sedentary behavior did not significantly influence the relationship between arterial health and cognitive function, suggesting a direct impact of arterial health on cognitive abilities.
The biggest mistake we can make about our children is letting them live an unhealthy lifestyle and chucking it up to their youthful resilient health to compensate. While children can tolerate unhealthy habits with less evidence of effect, that doesn’t mean they’re not harmed. Overtime, continued bad parenting of letting kids stay sedentary and eating junk food will give them a lifetime of medical problems that will be become very evident. Start teaching your kids healthy habits today so that they have them for the future as well as their health.
P Jalanko et al. Association between arterial health and cognition in adolescents: The PANIC study. Physiological Reports (2024). https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.16024
