Lowering Blood Pressure Below 120 mmHg May Reduce Dementia Risk

A new study has recently revealed that lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) below 120 mmHg may provide health benefits against late-life dementia. It can also reduce racial and ethnic disparities in hypertension control and management. 

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for dementia. But most studies on reducing dementia risk by controlling blood pressure only focus on White people. This is a problem because Black and Latino populations are more likely to have both high blood pressure and dementia. But this study has revealed that lowering blood pressure in middle age may slightly decrease the risk of dementia. This was especially true for Black and Latino individuals. 

This study was recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. In this study, researchers used the data from medical records, death certificates and demographics data. This study was lasted for 19 years and involved Chinese American, Black, Latino, and white individuals. These people were middle-aged and older adults. Researchers wanted to understand the effects of lowering blood pressure on dementia risk among different racial and ethnic groups. 

When researchers observed the collected data, they found that 8.8% of participants had dementia, with half needing intervention to lower their SBP below 140 mmHg. Interventions for blood pressure-lowering were more effective in Latino and Black participants as compared to White participants. Researchers also found that Chinese American participants showed some harmful effects. These findings clearly show that there is a need for further research on racial and ethnic disparities in hypertension control.

The results of this study clearly show that lowering blood pressure can reduce the risk of dementia. Hence healthcare professionals should consider this study and make some effective strategies to lower a person’s blood pressure. They can also suggest them some effective medications that can keep their SBP below 120 mmHg. This can save many lives as dementia increases many health complications.