A University of Georgia study found that Black Americans with both diabetes and hypertension in midlife exhibited significantly higher levels of dementia biomarkers more than a decade later.
The research shows that the combination of chronic illnesses accelerates brain aging, highlighting the need for proactive health management and intervention starting in midlife.
Researchers stress the importance of addressing systemic healthcare disparities and promoting cardiovascular health.
A new study from the University of Georgia has found that Black Americans diagnosed with both diabetes and hypertension in midlife face a significantly greater risk of developing dementia later in life. The research adds urgency to growing calls for early intervention and healthcare equity, particularly in communities disproportionately affected by chronic illnesses.
The study followed over 250 subjects, tracking the presence of diabetes, high blood pressure, or both conditions, and their long-term impact on cognitive health. A key finding: participants with both conditions in midlife showed notably elevated levels of a dementia-related biomarker more than a decade later—an early indicator of brain degeneration.
“This study shows that chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, especially when combined, might start damaging the brain earlier than we thought, especially for this group,” said Rachael Weaver, the study’s corresponding author and a sociology graduate student at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
Early brain aging
While previous studies have shown that Black Americans experience cognitive decline at younger ages and at higher rates than White individuals, this study connects that trend directly to coexisting chronic diseases. Importantly, researchers found that having either hypertension or diabetes alone did not show a dramatic neurological effect, but having both did—suggesting a compounding impact.
“These diagnoses might start a chain reaction leading to brain aging even as much as a decade later,” Weaver said.