High Blood Pressure Especially In Middle Age Ups Risk Of Dementia, Experts Warn

Doctors have already warned you about the dangers of having high blood pressure. Now, the American Heart Association revealed that high blood pressure, especially in middle age, can put you at risk for dementia.

According to Health Day News, heart experts at the association has noted that dementia affects about 30 million to 40 million people around the world. They also said that the number of people with dementia is expected to triple by 2050, as the world's population ages and treatments remain unknown. "People with high blood pressure tend to have more dementia," said statement author Dr. Costantino Iadecola. He is a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

After AHA experts analyzed existing studies, it led them to conclude that high blood pressure or hypertension obstructs the structure and function of blood vessels in the brain. They also said that this disruption leads to damage of the white matter parts of the brain that are vital for cognitive function, and may promote dementia, including Alzheimer's. Mirror also reported that the experts emphasized the "strong evidence" of a negative effect of mid-life high blood pressure on the brain's function in later years.

"There are a lot of small observational studies that looked at people who were treated for blood pressure and, generally, there was an improvement in cognition [thinking skills]," Iadecola said. "However, what we really need is a trial that specifically addresses the link between hypertension and cognition. What we need is a big trial to really narrow this down," he suggested. " UPI also reported Iadecola explaining that even though there aren't scientific evidence, treating blood pressure is still very important. "It not only saves the brain, but also the heart and the kidney. So in the absence of evidence, the best thing to do is to control blood pressure," Iadecola added.

Meanwhile, the committee has called for additional studies regarding the said connection. Since most of the trials that they reviewed did not really deal directly with the effect of high blood pressure on dementia. Because of this, it was impossible for the team to come up with clear recommendations for doctors on how to manage patients with the said condition, Iadecola explained.

"One of the problems is that years may pass the time high blood pressure is diagnosed and dementia starts. Long-term studies answering questions such as, when to start treatment to protect the brain, the ideal blood pressure to achieve, and which medications can help, is badly needed," he said.

The SPRINT-MIND trial, a study created to evaluate treating high blood pressure to delay dementia, may give the answers to some of these questions, the team said. Results of that trial are expected to be available next year, the authors of the report noted. Until then, Iadecola recommends treating high blood pressure on a patient-by-patient basis to protect brain, heart, and kidneys.

Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, stressed the importance of controlling blood pressure during midlife. He thinks that it could probably reduce the risk of dementia in late life. "My instinct is to say that this is certainly true, but there is a qualification," he added. "If hypertension is allowed to smolder along untreated through midlife, then initiating blood pressure control in late life may not show benefit, or may even be harmful," Gandy said.