A new study examining brain health disparities among men reveals striking differences in how cardiovascular risk factors affect white matter damage across racial and ethnic groups. Researchers analyzed brain scans and health data from 1,378 men participating in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities.
The research found that Hispanic men showed the most extensive vulnerability to brain injury from conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking. Every cardiovascular risk factor examined was linked to increased white matter hyperintensities—brain lesions that appear as bright spots on MRI scans and signal vascular damage that can lead to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Hispanic males exhibited the broadest vulnerability: hypertension, diabetes, and tobacco dependence each predicted higher WMH,” the researchers reported. Even small increases in blood pressure measurements significantly worsened brain damage in Hispanic men, an effect not seen in white or Black men.
Black men showed a more selective pattern, with hypertension and diabetes linked to brain injury, while white men had the most limited associations, primarily with high blood pressure.
The findings highlight concerning healthcare disparities, as the same cardiovascular conditions that put men at highest risk for brain damage often exclude them from Alzheimer’s treatment trials. “These individuals are doubly disadvantaged: they face a greater likelihood of cognitive decline and yet may be ruled out of disease-modifying therapies,” researchers noted.
The study underscores the urgent need for targeted cardiovascular interventions to protect brain health in minority communities.
See: “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Cardiometabolic Predictors of White Matter Hyperintensities Burden Amongst Males – The HABS-HD Study” (August 4, 2025)
