A recent clinical trial published in the journal 'Nature Medicine' found that addressing high blood pressure issues can help lower an individual's risk of developing cognitive impairment by 16 per cent and dementia by 15 per cent over the following four years. The study also included researchers from The University of Texas, US.
Cognitive decline usually precedes dementia which is an ageing-related condition that steadily impairs one's speech, memory and language. For the phase 3 clinical trial, the researchers looked at nearly 34,000 patients aged over 40 in rural China. People in 163 villages were given treatment for hypertension through medicines and lifestyle changes, while people in the other 163 villages continued their usual care.
The researchers found that over a follow-up period of four years, systolic blood pressure fell by 22 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 9.3 mm Hg, among the people treated for hypertension. The authors of the study said that by the end of the four-year follow-up, "anti-hypertensive treatment was associated with a 15 per cent reduction in dementia events."
Dementia cases around the world are expected to triple over the coming decades, with low- and middle-income countries projected to bear a disproportionate burden. Blood pressure is known to be a risk factor for developing dementia. A study, published in the journal 'Neurology' in January, showed that an aggressive control of blood pressure for over three years can provide sustained benefits in preventing cognitive decline.
However, the research team said that few trials have looked at whether treating blood pressure through medicines could impact one's risk of dementia. Speaking about the study, Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said, "This large trial of over 33,000 people in rural China provides further evidence that addressing high blood pressure could be one way to reduce dementia risk."
The new study is consistent with a Lancet Commission report that was released in August 2024. It has newly added 'high cholesterol' to a list of risk factors for dementia, added Dudley, not involved with the study. The list now consists of 14 risk factors, all of which together account for nearly half of the world's dementia cases.
Dudley, however, said that "while the results from this trial are reassuring, further studies are needed to understand how other risk factors like genetics interact with factors like high blood pressure to influence dementia risk."
The researcher added, "It will also be interesting to see whether interventions trialled in this study can work in other populations across the world."
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ: New research unveils sustainable solution to vitamin B12 deficiency
