High Blood Pressure and Dementia

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, September 5, 2008; 4:15 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Doctors know lowering blood pressure can help prevent cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke, but now they have evidence it also plays a role in lowering the risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Several studies have considered the impact of blood pressure drugs on dementia, including five large trials involving about 22,600 patients. While just one of the studies noted a significantly reduced incidence of dementia in patients being treated for their high blood pressure, several of the others suggested a lower incidence of cognitive decline with the treatment. None of the studies showed a greater decline when patients were on blood pressure medications.

Investigators believe more research is needed to clarify the role of blood pressure drugs in reducing the risk for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. They say now is the time to conduct these studies because dementia is becoming a growing public health challenge with the aging of the population.

Statistics show the risk for dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65.

SOURCE: Presented at the Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology September 2, 2008

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