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Aggressively lowering blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia among hypertension patients in a large government-backed clinical trial, US\u00a0researchers said on Wednesday.<\/p>\nAggressively lowering blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia among hypertension patients in a large government-backed clinical trial, US\u00a0researchers said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The results, presented at the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference in Chicago, offer some of the first tangible steps individuals can take to reduce their risk for dementia, experts said.<\/p>\n
\nThe results come from a landmark 2015 trial dubbed SPRINT involving of more than 9,300 hypertension patients which showed significant cardiovascular benefits in people whose systolic blood pressure – the top number in a blood pressure reading – was lowered aggressively to below 120, compared to a higher target of under 140.
\nThe Sprint MIND study looked specifically at the implications of aggressive blood pressure lowering on symptoms of dementia from any cause, and mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a precursor to dementia.
\nIt found that people whose blood pressure was lowered to below 120 had a 19 percent lower rate of new cases of mild cognitive impairment and a 15 percent reduction in MCI and dementia combined.<\/p>\n
\nThe takeaway of the study, said Dr. Keith Fargo, director of scientific and outreach programs at the Alzheimer\u2019s Association, is \u201csee your doctor and know your numbers,\u201d and if individuals have hypertension, get it treated.
\n\u201cNot only do we already know that it reduces the risk for death due to stroke and heart attacks but we now know it supports healthy brain aging,\u201d he said in an interview.
\nAlthough the study showed effects on MCI and combined dementia plus MCI, it did not show an overall reduction in dementia alone, at least not yet.
\nFargo said it takes longer for people to develop dementia, but as the study continues, he expects more people treated to the higher target of 140 will develop dementia.
\n\u201cSince it\u2019s too early, too few people have developed dementia,\u201d he said.
\nThe study looked at all causes of dementia, including Alzheimer\u2019s, the most common form marked by clumps of amyloid in the brain, and vascular dementia, which is caused by blocked blood flow to the brain.<\/p>\n
\nFargo said the result most likely affects the impact of blood pressure lowering on vascular dementia but noted that many people with Alzheimer\u2019s also have some degree of vascular disease, and reducing the total dementia risk could delay the onset of memory problems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Aggressively lowering blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia among hypertension patients in a large government-backed clinical trial, US\u00a0researchers said on Wednesday. The results, presented at the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference in Chicago, offer some of the first tangible steps individuals can take to reduce their risk for dementia, experts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":45999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n