Arterial Blood Pressure Associated With Alzheimer's Disease – College Media Network

Over the past decade, researchers have studied the association between high blood pressure, in the elderly, and Alzheimer's disease. Recently, more studies with consistent results have shown that older people with hypertension (high blood pressure) are more likely to have biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is a common type of 60-70% of dementia cases. Apart from genetic makeup and other risk factors such as head injuries, depression, scientists firmly believe and postulate that proper control of blood pressure and its medications can reduce the risk of 39; Alzheimer.

"Hypertension indicates that the heart works harder than normal to pump blood throughout the body, which not only causes the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood in narrowed arterial vessels, but also reduce blood flow to the body regions, oxygen and glucose. "This leads to brain dysfunction such as cognitive function: memory and language.

According to the study on cardiovascular risk factors, aging and dementia (CAIDE), nearly 1,500 participants of average age were examined for more than 20 years to determine who was suffering from dementia (Kivipelto et al., 2005). hypertension has a triple increased risk of dementia. Similarly, the Honolulu-Asia Aging longitudinal study, which included a 28-year follow-up of Japanese American men, indicated that an increase in blood pressure at mid-life (age: 40-64 years) was predictive of late dementia.

Age at diagnosis of high blood pressure could be a determinant of the relationship between hypertension and Alzheimer's disease 10-20 years later. According to the National Joint Committee VII, the Honolulu-Asia Aging study has shown an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in untreated hypertensive men

Researchers in the Honolulu study Asia Aging also showed that "autopsies were performed after the death of 774 of them, most had suffered from hypertension or were being treated for this disease." About 15% were taking a beta-blocker alone, while that 18% were taking a beta-blocker at the same time as another blood pressure drug. "Beta-blocker is the most common drug treatment for high blood pressure, including acebutolol ( Sectral) and atenolol.), Bisoprolol (Zebeta), metoprolol, nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic) and propranolol (Inderal LA).

On the other hand, the Kungsholmen project has indicated that hypotension can also be dangerous because low blood pressure induces or accelerates cognitive decline by decreasing cerebral blood flow. It has also been postulated that orthostatic hypotension predicts cognitive impairment in the elderly.

As more and more gerontopsychologists, neurologists and psychologists study this issue to promote healthy aging of the body and brain, we must recognize that adequate control of blood pressure is underestimated. 19659009]

Carlos A. Feldstein: Effects of Changes in Blood Pressure on Alzheimer's Disease