A new study found that treating hypertension in your 30s may reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia years later. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that participants who had high blood pressure in their 30s were more likely to have lower regional brain volumes and worse white matter integrity, both of which are associated with dementia.

According to Prevention, the researchers looked at 427 patients between the ages of 30 and 40, recording two blood pressure readings from each participant.  This allowed them to determine if they had been hypertensive, transitioning to hypertensive, or had normal blood pressure in early adulthood. They followed up with the study subjects at an average age of 75 and conducted MRI scans, which allowed them to look for late-life signs of cognitive decline.

Compared to participants with normal blood pressure, the brain scans of those transitioning to high blood pressure or with high blood pressure showed lower cerebral gray matter volume, frontal cortex volume and fractional anisotropy (a measure of brain connectivity). The scores for men with high blood pressure were lower than those for women, says a press release from UC Davis, suggesting that women may have some protective brain benefits of estrogen before menopause.

“Treatment for dementia is extremely limited, so identifying modifiable risk and protective factors over the life course is key to reducing disease burden,” said first author Kristen M. George, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis. “High blood pressure is an incredible common and treatable risk factor associated with dementia. This study indicates hypertension status in early adulthood is important for brain health decades later.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 47% of adults in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, at or above 130/80 mmHg.

“This study truly demonstrates the importance of early life risk factors and that to age well, you need to take care of yourself throughout life. Heart health is important to brain health,” noted Rachel Whitmer, senior author of the study, professor in the departments of Public Health Sciences and Neurology and chief of the Division of Epidemiology. Whitmer is also the associate director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center.

“We are excited to be able to continue following these participants and to uncover more about what we can do in early life to set yourself up for healthy brain aging in late life,” Whitmer said.