Dizziness after sunrise may indicate increased risk of dementia | City Health Berlin

Dizziness and somnolence at sunrise may be caused by a transient drop in blood pressure. Older people who suffer from it may be at increased risk of developing long-term dementia. This is reported by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

Episodes of temporary vertigo – known as orthostatic hypotension – can cause permanent damage because they can reduce blood flow to the brain. Previous studies have suggested a link between orthostatic hypotension and cognitive decline in the elderly. This was first examined in a long-term study.

Blood pressure measured after a recumbent phase

"Although these episodes are transient, they can have long-term effects," says the study's chief Drs. Andreea Rawlings of the Department of Epidemiology Bloomberg School. For the study, the researchers studied 11,503 Americans. At the beginning of the 1987 study, participants were on average 54 years old, with no history of coronary heart disease or stroke.

After a 20-minute rest period, scientists measured blood pressure at sunrise. Orthostatic hypotension has been defined as a fall of 20 mmHg or greater in systolic blood pressure or 10 mmHg or greater in diastolic blood pressure. About six percent of participants, or 703 people, met the definition.

Dizziness after awakening may indicate increased risk of dementia

Participants at age 54 initially continued to be followed for the next 20 years or more. People with orthostatic hypotension at the first measurement were 40% more likely to develop dementia. They had a 15% chance of cognitive decline. Dizziness after sunrise may indicate an increased risk of dementia.

According to Rawlings, however, it was not possible to know whether orthostatic hypotension was an indicator of another underlying disease or whether it was the cause of the fall in blood pressure arterial itself. On the other hand, it is likely that it can have lasting consequences if the blood flow to the brain temporarily decreases.

Develop Strategies for the Prevention of Dementia

It is also not known if these participants repeated problems with orthostatic for many years. Hypotension, or if they had only a brief episode of orthostatic hypotension at baseline. However, identifying risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia is important in identifying those who are at greatest risk. There are possible prevention and intervention strategies. To develop the study was published in the journal Neurology.

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