While many older adults are aware of the troubles associated with high blood pressure, or hypertension, and the toll it can take on everything from a daily routine to health insurances costs, many young people would do well to pay attention to the risk factors associated with letting blood pressure get out of control.

A recent study found that those individuals suffering from hypertension may be at risk of losing brain volume over time, according to Medical News Today. Those individuals who put themselves at risk for high blood pressure with certain life style choices were also found to be far more likely to suffer brain shrinkage as a result.

Hypertension can be influenced by many factors. For example, individuals who drink in excess or smoke are much more likely to develop high blood pressure than those that do not. Overweight individuals and people who have diets high in salt are also more disposed to hypertension, according to Pub Med Health.

Individuals who developed diabetes as a result of their habits also lost brain volume in the hippocampus area. Additionally, those who were already obese in middle age were 25 percent more susceptible to brain shrinkage than those that were not, according to Medical News Today.