(Forbes) – Researchers at the University of California at Davis released a study today that should give anyone with even mildly elevated blood pressure pause. It seems that having blood pressure higher than the optimal 120/80 may be aging your brain, putting you at risk for memory problems and eventually for dementia and Alzheimer’s. And this appears to be true even for people in their thirties and even for people with pre-hypertension.
Using data from the highly regarded Framingham Heart Study, the UC Davis team led by professor of neurology Charles DeCarli compared detailed brain scans of 575 people who joined the study in 2009, most in their thirties. DeCarli and his team divided the participants into three groups: hypertensive, pre-hypertensive, and normal blood pressure. They then analyzed the gray and white matter of their brains using high-tech MRIs.
Previous studies have linked high blood pressure with memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and dementia but this study, published online today in the November online version of The Lancet Neurology, appears to be the first one showing that the decline may begin as early as the 30s and 40s. Experts believe that stiffening or hardening of the arteries caused by high blood pressure gradually limits blood flow to the brain, depriving the brain of oxygen over time.
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It is certainly possible that HBP can effect your memory, but I also suspect that medication for blood pressure effects your memory. My memory has declined considerably since I take medication and my blood pressure is under control, not prior.
These BP meds have wreaked total havoc with me. I have no doubts that they could mess with any function of the mind and body. Thank God for RESPeRATE. I hope that the results continue long term.
Yes, I too believe that high blood pressure may be aging the brain. My neighbor has Alzheimer’s disease and has been on blood pressure medication for over 30 years. Medication only suppresses high blood pressure which may be the reason people on medication also suffer from memory loss.
Even more confirmation that these drugs aren’t doing the patient any justice other than masking symptoms. Get to the root cause–atherosclerosis in most cases. Change your diet in a way that will allow for normalization of BP. The normalization of BP as medications are discontinued represents a reversal of athersclerosis. Also strive for vigorous exercise daily. This will strenghten the heart and lower the resting heart rate and BP.