Earlier research suggests that intensive lowering of systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduces dementia risk. An insufficient number of probable dementia cases, however, stemming from its short follow-up period, made its findings inconclusive. In the current study, researchers thus compared the effects of intensive and standard SBP lowering on cognitive impairment with longer follow-up data.
To do so, they analyzed data from a clinical trial that recruited individuals aged 50 years and older with hypertension and an increased cardiovascular risk. Data was collected between 2010 and 2013 from 102 clinics across the US and Puerto Rico. Participants were randomized to receive either intensive treatment- defined as targeting <120 mm Hg- or standard treatment- defined as targeting <140 mm Hg- for 3.3 years.
In-person cognitive assessments were carried out until July 2018, and telephone assessments were carried out from December 2019 for the remaining participants. Of a total 9, 361 total participants, 7,221 were eligible for being recontacted. The researchers found that over a median follow-up of 7 years, 8.5 per 1,000 person-years in the intensive treatment group developed 'probable dementia', while the same was true for 10.2 per 1000 in the standard treatment group.
“Our study shows that intensive blood pressure control is an important strategy in the prevention of cognitive impairment, a major cause of loss of independence in older adults. Lowering your blood pressure to more aggressive targets can improve the quality of life and extend active life for individuals with hypertension,” said study author, Jeff Williamson, M.D., M.H.S, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in a press release.
Sources: EurekAlert, Neurology