Long-Term Care

New study suggests high blood pressure elevates risk of dementia

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, February 11, 2010

The latest report linking high blood pressure (hypertension) and dementia was published in the December 2009 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. The eight-year study, which included 1,403 participants, found that individuals suffering from hypertension developed considerable white matter lesions in the brain. Those lesions are typically caused by damage to small blood vessels, according to The Vancouver Sun.

They are also known to be risk factors for dementia. The accumulation of lesions in the brain, which cause blood vessels to be closed off, can result in a variety of changes to an individual’s personality, cognition, and disposition over time, eventually leading to a specific form of dementia.

Most Popular

Related Articles