Controlling high blood pressure is known to reduce a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke, and it also might help prevent or delay Alzheimer’s. High blood pressure, particularly in midlife, is considered a risk factor for later-life cognitive decline.
A large, multiyear clinical trial called SPRINT-MIND (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial: Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension) looked at the effects of lowering blood pressure in more than 8,000 older adults who were 50 years or older and at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Results showed that lowering systolic blood pressure (i.e., the “top” blood pressure number) to below 120 mmHg, rather than the standard 140 mmHg, significantly reduced the risk of MCI. Further, brain scans also showed that this intensive lowering slowed the buildup of white matter lesions — abnormal changes in the brain associated with dementia.
In a study that reviewed data from six individual community-based cohorts, researchers examined the long-term data (average follow-up between seven and 22 years) from roughly 31,000 adults over age 55 that provided further evidence to support the potential of this strategy. The study results showed that managing high blood pressure with blood pressure medication reduced the risk of dementia to the level of a person with normal blood pressure not on blood pressure medication.
However, an observational study of more than 17,000 adults showed that higher systolic blood pressure (particularly at about 185 mmHg) was associated with a lower risk of dementia among those age 60 to 70, which is inconsistent with the findings from SPRINT-MIND. Among those 75 years and older, data showed what’s called a U-shaped association, in which both high and low blood pressure were associated with lower risk. These findings and others point to the need for further research in how blood pressure levels relate to dementia risk at different ages, as well as cardiovascular risk factors.
While research continues, experts recommend that people control high blood pressure to lower their risk of other serious health problems.
