Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language and an impaired thinking ability, greatly affecting a person’s day-to-day life.
The disease has become a global epidemic with current statistics finding around 50 million people worldwide are affected by the brain disease.
This number is shockingly said to triple by 2050.
Now a new study, which has been hailed as the ‘best evidence yet’, has found that those who lower their blood pressure reading can significantly lower their risk of dementia later in life.
Having high blood pressure is already a precursor for a number of serious health outcomes, including heart attacks and strokes, but little has been noted about its link to dementia.
To further examine the possible relationship between blood pressure and dementia, a global study including over 28,000 people was analysed.
Researchers investigated five double-blind and placebo-controlled trails that used different blood pressure-lowering treatments and then followed up these participants until the development of dementia.
Participants had an average age of 69 from 20 different countries, and all had a history of high blood pressure.
“We found there was a significant effect of treatment in lowering the odds of dementia associated with a sustained reduction in blood pressure in this older population,” said Dr Ruth Peters, Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney and Program Lead for Dementia in The George Institute’s Global Brain Health Initiative.
She added: “Given population ageing and the substantial costs of caring for people with dementia, even a small reduction could have considerable global impact.
“Our results imply a broadly linear relationship between blood pressure reduction and lower risk of dementia, regardless of which type of treatment was used.”
How to lower blood pressure
Current treatments in the UK to help lower blood pressure include:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as enalapril, lisinopril, perindopril and ramipril
- Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs), which are similar to ACE inhibitors and are often recommended if the latter causes side effects, with examples such as ascandesartan, irbesartan, losartan, valsartan and olmesartan
- Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, felodipine and nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil
- Diuretics
- Beta blockers.
Lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure
According to the NHS, natural ways to help lower your reading and reduce your risk of dementia include:
- Cutting your salt intake to less than 6g (0.2oz) a day, which is about a teaspoonful
- Eating a low-fat, balanced diet
- Being active
- Cutting down on alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Drinking less caffeine
- Stopping smoking.
“Our study provides the highest grade of available evidence to show that blood pressure lowering treatment over several years reduces the risk of dementia, and we did not see any evidence of harm,” added Dr Peters.
“But what we still don’t know is whether additional blood pressure lowering in people who already have it well-controlled or starting treatment earlier in life would reduce the long-term risk of dementia,” she added.
It’s important to always know your blood pressure reading and stay on top of it.
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