Untreated High Blood Pressure in Older Adults Linked to Dementia Risk
What Did the Research Discover?
This large-scale meta-analysis examined data from 34,519 older adults across 17 population-based studies conducted in 15 different countries, including the United States, Brazil, Australia, China, and several European and African nations. The goal of the study was to determine whether hypertension and its treatment in late life influenced the risk of developing dementia.
The researchers categorized participants into three groups:
- Healthy controls – Individuals without hypertension who were not taking antihypertensive medications.
- Treated hypertension group – Individuals with a history of hypertension who were using antihypertensive medications.
- Untreated hypertension group – Individuals with a history of hypertension who were not receiving treatment for their condition.
Over an average follow-up of 4.3 years, the study found that individuals with untreated hypertension had a 42% greater risk of developing dementia compared to those in the healthy control group. Additionally, those with untreated hypertension had a 26% higher dementia risk than individuals whose hypertension was treated with medication. However, there was no significant difference in dementia risk between individuals who received antihypertensive treatment and those who never had hypertension.
Another key finding was that baseline blood pressure readings alone were not predictive of dementia risk. In other words, having a single high or low BP reading at one point in time did not necessarily mean a person was at greater or lower risk of developing dementia later. This finding suggests that long-term management of blood pressure is far more important than a single measurement when assessing dementia risk.
The study also analyzed potential influences of age, sex, and racial background but found that the protective effects of antihypertensive treatment remained consistent across all groups. This means that managing hypertension effectively reduces dementia risk regardless of demographic differences.
How Can I Apply This Information?
For individuals, especially older adults, managing high blood pressure through consistent medication use and lifestyle changes can have long-term benefits beyond just heart health—it may also play a protective role in preventing dementia. If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, staying on prescribed antihypertensive medication may help lower your risk of cognitive decline and memory-related diseases as you age.
One key takeaway from this study is that ignoring high blood pressure can have serious consequences, including an increased risk of developing dementia later in life. If left untreated, hypertension may lead to long-term damage to blood vessels in the brain, increasing the likelihood of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
For healthcare professionals, this study reinforces the importance of early detection and consistent management of hypertension in older adults. Regular monitoring and adjusting antihypertensive treatment as needed could play a critical role in reducing dementia incidence in aging populations. Since the study found that baseline blood pressure alone was not a reliable predictor, providers should focus on long-term trends in BP levels rather than single readings when making treatment decisions.
Additionally, public health initiatives aimed at increasing awareness about hypertension treatment could be vital in reducing dementia cases worldwide. Given that hypertension is one of the most common risk factors for dementia, ensuring that individuals adhere to antihypertensive therapy could be a simple but powerful tool in dementia prevention strategies.
Source:
Lennon MJ, Lam BC, Lipnicki DM, Crawford JD, Peters R, Schutte AE, Brodaty H, Thalamuthu A, Rydberg-Sterner T, Najar J, Skoog I. Use of antihypertensives, blood pressure, and estimated risk of dementia in late life: an individual participant data meta-analysis. JAMA network open. 2023 Sep 5;6(9):e2333353-. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37698858/
