Black patients with both diabetes and hypertension face higher dementia risk

Study finds the risk increases later in life

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

May 15, 2025

• 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 lateran 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 studys corresponding author and a sociology graduate student at UGAs 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 didsuggesting a compounding impact.

These diagnoses might start a chain reaction leading to brain aging even as much as a decade later, Weaver said.

Sign up below for The Daily Consumer, our newsletter on the latest consumer news, including recalls, scams, lawsuits and more.

.newsletter-form {
display: flex;
max-width: 400px;
margin: 20px auto;
background: #f8f9fa;
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
.newsletter-input {
flex: 1;
padding: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 5px 0 0 5px;
font-size: 16px;
outline: none;
}
.newsletter-input:focus {
border-color: #007bff;
}
.newsletter-button {
background: #2976D1;
color: white;
border: none;
padding: 10px 15px;
font-size: 16px;
border-radius: 0 5px 5px 0;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background 0.3s ease;
}
.newsletter-button:hover {
background: #0056b3;
}

Subscribe



#Black #patients #diabetes #hypertension #face #higher #dementia #risk