A new study has discovered a connection between the risk of Alzheimer’s and high blood pressure. Researchers at the University of New South Wales found that people with untreated high blood pressure may be more likely to develop the disease than those who have been or are receiving treatment for hypertension.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia, accounting for 60% to 80% of cases, and it affects around 7 million individuals in the United States alone [1]. Currently, there is no cure for this disorder.
Previous studies have demonstrated that several health issues, such as type 2 diabetes [2], obesity [3], high cholesterol, and stroke [4], may increase an individual’s risk of getting Alzheimer’s.
High blood pressure or hypertension is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. A new study discovered that people with untreated high blood pressure may have a higher chance of getting the disorder than people who have been or are receiving treatment for hypertension.
The journal Neurology published the research [5].
Untreated Hypertension Linked to Alzheimer’s
For this study, the research team examined data from over 31,000 participants, with an average age of 72, who participated in 14 studies examining cognitive change and dementia diagnosis in 14 countries, including Australia, the United States, Spain, and Japan.
A little more than 1,400 of them went on to get Alzheimer’s during an average four-year follow-up period.
The team examined various factors, including blood pressure readings, the diagnosis of high blood pressure, and whether or not people took medication for their condition. They discovered that 9% of people were not treating their condition, 51% were taking medication, 36% did not have high blood pressure, and 4% were unsure of their status.
After adjusting for any other factors that might have affected the outcome, the team discovered that untreated high blood pressure was related to a 36% greater Alzheimer’s risk compared to those who did not have hypertension.
Furthermore, when compared to individuals who treated their high blood pressure with medicines, the group had a 42% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The authors of the study suggest that managing high blood pressure as you become older may be essential to lowering your risk of Alzheimer’s.
Increased Hypertension Vigilance Required
The researchers believe their research will stress to physicians how important it is to talk to patients about treating high blood pressure.
According to Matthew J. Lennon, MD, PhD, the study’s lead author, a psychiatric registrar at Royal North Shore Hospital in Australia and post-doctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, people’s perspectives on managing chronic illnesses like hypertension can become less vigilant as they age [6].
This is especially true for hypertension, which is virtually always asymptomatic – a silent killer. Doctors must provide their patients with accurate and reliable information on the risks of not using effective antihypertensive drugs and the risks and side effects of medication use.
Future Perspective
Lennon stated that their findings would provide older people with additional data and information about whether taking antihypertensives is the correct decision for them, with more focus on the protective cognitive effects of antihypertensives.
He added that although the researchers in the present study examined dementia and cognition as a single, binary concept—that is, as either you have dementia or you do not—in their ongoing research, they are dissecting cognition into subdomains and investigating whether blood pressure and antihypertensives affect various cognitive functions in different ways. They have some intriguing preliminary findings, which should hopefully be coming out soon.
Managing Hypertension May Reduce Dementia Risk
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, stated that hypertension is an established risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular illness [6].
While it was known as a risk factor for developing vascular dementia, this study also found a link between untreated hypertension and Alzheimer’s dementia. This discovery underscores the significance of managing hypertension and illustrates the influence of high blood pressure on the many organ systems within our body.
According to Chen, the exact relationship between untreated high blood pressure and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s dementia is not fully understood.
There is a chance that vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s diagnosis overlap. Conversely, it is also possible that people with Alzheimer’s are less likely to visit the doctor regularly and thus have elevated blood pressures at home that remain untreated.
These findings emphasize the significant role of hypertension as a modifiable risk factor in many types of disease conditions. Chen said that future studies should look into the long-term relationship between hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease, extending back into middle age.
Alzheimer’s Research Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. We provide the latest information and news about the illness and helpful tips to help caregivers cope with their daily caregiving challenges. We realize the most important thing that a caregiver needs is financial assistance. Therefore, we provide grants to caregivers to ease their financial burden. Caregivers can apply for grants here: Alzheimer’s Grant Application.
You can also help caregivers in their endeavor by donating as much as possible: Donation To Alzheimer’s Research Associations.
References
- Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer’s Association. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures. Accessed: 2nd September, 2024.
- Athanasaki, A., Melanis, K., Tsantzali, I., Stefanou, M.I., Ntymenou, S., Paraskevas, S.G., Kalamatianos, T., Boutati, E., Lambadiari, V., Voumvourakis, K.I. and Stranjalis, G., 2022. Type 2 diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: Review and meta-analysis. Biomedicines, 10(4), p.778.
- Flores-Cordero, J.A., Pérez-Pérez, A., Jiménez-Cortegana, C., Alba, G., Flores-Barragán, A. and Sánchez-Margalet, V., 2022. Obesity as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: the role of leptin. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(9), p.5202.
- Gupta, A., Uthayaseelan, K., Uthayaseelan, K., Kadari, M., Subhan, M., Parel, N.S., vamsi Krishna, P. and Sange, I., 2022. Alzheimer’s Disease and Stroke: A Tangled Neurological Conundrum. Cureus, 14(5).
- Lennon, M.J., Lipnicki, D.M., Lam, B.C.P., Crawford, J.D., Schutte, A.E., Peters, R., Rydberg-Sterner, T., Najar, J., Skoog, I., Riedel-Heller, S.G. and Röhr, S., 2024. Blood Pressure, Antihypertensive Use, and Late-Life Alzheimer and Non-Alzheimer Dementia Risk: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis. Neurology, 103(5), p.e209715.
- Untreated high blood pressure may raise Alzheimer’s disease risk. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/untreated-high-blood-pressure-may-raise-alzheimers-disease-risk. Published Onlone: 14th August, 2024. Accessed: 2nd September, 2o24.
- Your Alzheimer’s Risk Could be 42% Higher if You Leave High Blood Pressure Untreated. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/alzheimers-risk-high-blood-pressure. Published Online: 15th August, 2024. Accessed: 2nd September, 2024.
