Reducing high blood pressure decreases incidence of dementia

Treating high blood pressure may reduce the incidence of dementia by up to 50%, according to a new scientific review of international research.

The review by Dr Michael Valenzuela, a research fellow at the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, draws a significant medical link between “a healthy heart and a healthy brain”.

Dr Michael Valenzuela has brought together more than 10 years of global clinical research, population studies, experimental evidence and biological theory, to argue that there are direct links between heart disease risk factors and developing dementia.

Dr Valenzuela cites the European SYST-EUR trial (Systolic Hypertension in Europe Trial) as central to his findings.   

The European SYST-EUR was a rigorously conducted randomized control trial that involved 4,695 individuals over the age of 60 with high blood pressure.

The trial, found an anti-hypertensive medication, reduced the incidence of dementia by 50% in both Alzheimer’s dementia and vascular dementia.

This statistically significant result was confirmed in a separate follow-up report four years later. Emerging dementia research in the United States, Europe and Australia further support the finding. 

“After 100 years of research into clinical risk reduction for dementia, we finally seem to have found an effective medical weapon – that of blood pressure tablets,” Dr Valenzuela said.  

“So the number one thing a person can do to help prevent dementia is to have your blood pressure checked regularly and if it is high take the right measures to bring it under control,” he stated.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) latest report, deaths from dementia have more than doubled in the past decade.

In 2007, 5.3% of all deaths were from dementia, up from 2.6% in 1998.

Dementia is now the fourth highest cause of death in Australia (previously ranked seventh). Heart disease, stroke and lung cancer remain the top three.

“This is a startling finding and demonstrates the growing momentum of this condition in Australia,” the Hon. John Watkins, chief executive officer of Alzheimer’s Australia New South Wales, said. 

“The ABS statistics highlight the critical need for immediate action into planning for the significant health, social and economic impacts on Australian society these dementia figures represent,” said Mr Watkins.

“Now is the time to take a long-term view and plan for the future of aged care and dementia care services in Australia,” he added.

“An increase in funding for medical research is now also urgently needed to ensure adequate prevention measures and even a cure for dementia,” said Mr Watkins.