If you want to be able to continue making clear decisions as you age, you might want to pay closer attention to your blood pressure. Researchers at University of California at Davis in Sacramento found that high blood pressure in middle age is a risk factor for reduced cognitive ability later in life.

The researchers conducted a 10-year study involving more than 1,350 people who had an average age of 54 at the beginning of the study. Among the results, the researchers said that those participants who had high blood pressure developed blood vessel damage in their brains at a faster rate than those whose blood pressure was normal. Participants with high blood pressure also scored lower on such cognitive scales as planning, organization and decision making skills, when compared with those whose blood pressure was in the normal range.

The researchers listed other areas of concern for developing cognitive problems later in life. Those included diabetes, obesity and smoking.

The study was published by the American Academy of Neurology.