High BP may cause cognitive impairment: Study

The Researchers from the University of Alabama in Birmingham found a 7 percent more probability of cognitive disorders with every 10 point increase in the blood pressure (BP) reading.

20,000 people under the age group of 45 and more were part of this study that suggests prevention as the only cure against cognitive disorders.

Relation between BP and memory problems
Many serious ailments like heart attacks, kidney failures, strokes and others have already been associated with high blood pressure but this addition has further increased the troubles of people suffering from this condition.

The research proves that due to higher diastolic blood pressure, the small arteries present in the brain weaken and this results in small brain damage areas that cause cognitive disorders.

Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis, who initiated the study, confirms, “It's possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia.”

Need for more study
In lieu of the present study, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is planning to organize a clinical trial to find whether measures for controlling high blood pressure can help lower risk of cognitive impairment or not.

More research is also needed to establish the exact impact of high BP on memory of individuals having this problem, which may go unnoticed for years due to absence of proper symptoms of high BP.

"These latest data suggest that higher blood pressure may be a risk factor for cognitive decline, but further studies will be necessary to understand the cause-effect relationship," says Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which also raised funds for this study.

The findings of the present study have been published in the Aug. 25 issue of the medical journal of American Academy of Neurology titled ‘Neurology’.