Researchers have discovered a link between better control of high blood pressure than current standards and lower risks of dementia and cognitive impairment.
Specifically, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study shows that those with high blood pressure who achieved systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg—known as “intensive” blood pressure control—had a lower white matter lesions on their brain than similar patients who achieved the current standard for healthy blood pressure of 140 mm Hg.
“The great news from this research is that high blood pressure is a treatable condition, and if you treat high blood pressure aggressively, you could have a positive benefit on cognition and brain structure,” says R. Nick Bryan at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Though the benefit may be small, it’s one of the few impactful cognition-related interventions we have,” Bryan says.
White matter brain lesions are well documented to be associated with a greater likelihood or intensity of cognitive decline.
According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is considered 130 mm Hg or higher.
The current study supports the findings of a related study published in January that showed intensive blood pressure control is associated with fewer incidents of cognitive adverse events.
Both studies were part of a larger body of research known as Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), designed to determine the protective value of lower blood pressure for heart, kidney and brain health.
Previous research within SPRINT also showed that intensive blood pressure control among people with hypertension is linked to better outcomes in terms of risks of heart attack, heart failure, and death.
In the current study, researchers compared MRI scans of adults age 50 and older with an average age 67 years old with systolic blood pressure between 130 and 180 mm Hg at baseline and four years later, noting white matter lesions and brain volume.
The next step in this investigation is to understand the effects of intensive blood pressure control among younger adults, such as those in their 40s, says Bryan.
“We need to understand how aggressive should we be with blood pressure control when we’re earlier on in the process,” he says.
The research appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Funding for the study came from the National Institutes of Health.
Written by Kim Berger, UT Austin.
