EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, August 14, 2024
Do People with High Blood Pressure Have a Higher Risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease?
MINNEAPOLIS 鈥 People 60 and older with untreated high blood pressure may have an increased risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease compared to both people who have been or are being treated for high blood pressure as well as people without the chronic condition. The new research, a meta-analysis, is published in the August 14, 2024, online issue of , the medical journal of the 好色先生. These results do not prove that untreated high blood pressure causes Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, they only show an association. 鈥淗igh blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and yet it can be controlled with medication, reducing a person鈥檚 risk of these diseases,鈥 said author Matthew J. Lennon, MD, PhD, of the University of New South Wales in Australia. 鈥淭aking blood pressure medications has also been found in previous research to reduce a person鈥檚 risk of dementias overall, but less is known about how blood pressure affects a person鈥檚 risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. Our meta-analysis looked at older people and found that not treating blood pressure may indeed increase a person鈥檚 risk.鈥 For the meta-analysis, researchers looked at 31,250 people with an average age of 72 who were enrolled in 14 studies that measured cognitive change and dementia diagnosis over time. Participants were from Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Participants were followed for an average of four years and 1,415 developed Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. For each participant, researchers looked at blood pressure measurements, high blood pressure diagnosis and the use of blood pressure medication. They found 9% had untreated high blood pressure, 51% were taking blood pressure medications, 36% did not have high blood pressure and 4% were noted as uncertain. After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and education, researchers found people with untreated high blood pressure had 36% increased risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease when compared to people without high blood pressure, and a 42% increased risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 when compared to people with the condition who were taking blood pressure medications. 鈥淥ur meta-analysis that included people from around the world found that taking blood pressure medications was associated with decreased risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease throughout later life,鈥 said Lennon. 鈥淭hese results suggest that treating high blood pressure as a person ages continues to be a crucial factor in reducing their risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.鈥 A limitation of the meta-analysis was that definitions for high blood pressure varied by location, which could lead to possible discrepancies in diagnosis. The meta-analysis was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia as well as the U.S. National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. The meta-analysis was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia as well as the U.S. National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. Learn more about dementia at , home of the 好色先生鈥檚 free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life庐 on , and . When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience.