Untreated high blood pressure linked to 42% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease: study

Hypertension is linked to several grave health problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Scientists now emphasize that using appropriate medications to control hypertension is key not only to preventing cardiovascular disease, but also to reducing the risk of developing dementia.

Untreated high blood pressure is associated with a 42% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adults aged 60 and older, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.

“Hypertension is a leading cause of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, yet it can be controlled with medication, reducing the risk of these conditions. Previous studies have also found that taking blood pressure medication reduces the risk of dementia, but less is known about how blood pressure affects the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Our meta-analysis looked at older adults and found that not treating high blood pressure may actually escalate the risk of the disease,” said Matthew J. Lennon, MD, in press release.

To understand the link between untreated high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s, researchers evaluated 31,250 people from around the world who took part in 14 studies that assessed participants’ cognitive changes and dementia diagnoses over time. The participants were an average of 72 years elderly and were followed for an average of four years.

The researchers noted that 9% of participants had untreated high blood pressure, 51% were taking blood pressure medication, 36% did not have high blood pressure, and 4% were classified as uncertain. After the follow-up period, 1,415 people developed Alzheimer’s disease.

People with untreated high blood pressure had a 36% greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to people without high blood pressure. They also had a 42% greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to people with the disease who took blood pressure medication. The results were obtained after taking into account factors such as age, gender and education.

“These results suggest that treating high blood pressure in older people continues to be a key factor in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Lennon said.

However, because the definition of high blood pressure varies by country, there may have been discrepancies in diagnosis, which could have affected the study results.