Published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
High blood pressure, memory loss linked
Chronic high blood pressure puts people at risk for heart attack or stroke. Now a study shows that it may also cause memory problems, even in middle-age people.
The research, published in the current issue of Neurology, showed that people with high diastolic blood pressure (that’s the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) were more likely to have problems with memory and thinking skills compared with people who had normal diastolic readings.
For every 10-point increase in the reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems were 7 percent higher. The study controlled for other factors that could affect cognition, such as age, smoking, exercise level, education or other illnesses.
High blood pressure is defined as a reading equal to or higher than 140/90. The study involved almost 20,000 people, age 45 or older, from across the United States who participated in a stroke study but had never had a stroke.
Researchers suggest a higher diastolic reading signals that the smaller arteries in the brain are weakening, which can result in subtle brain damage.
“It’s possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia,” the lead author of the study, said Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis of the University of Alabama.
The National Institutes of Health is organizing a large study to learn whether aggressive control of blood pressure can lower the risk of various conditions, including cognitive decline.
The research, published in the current issue of Neurology, showed that people with high diastolic blood pressure (that’s the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) were more likely to have problems with memory and thinking skills compared with people who had normal diastolic readings.
For every 10-point increase in the reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems were 7 percent higher. The study controlled for other factors that could affect cognition, such as age, smoking, exercise level, education or other illnesses.
High blood pressure is defined as a reading equal to or higher than 140/90. The study involved almost 20,000 people, age 45 or older, from across the United States who participated in a stroke study but had never had a stroke.
Researchers suggest a higher diastolic reading signals that the smaller arteries in the brain are weakening, which can result in subtle brain damage.
“It’s possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia,” the lead author of the study, said Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis of the University of Alabama.
The National Institutes of Health is organizing a large study to learn whether aggressive control of blood pressure can lower the risk of various conditions, including cognitive decline.
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