Does hypertension unclean my chances of cognitive decline? Not only is high blood pressure bad for your heart, but it also may impair your brain’s ability to function, according to a new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Money Talks News’ recent article entitled “High Blood Pressure May Harm Your Ability to Think” reports that hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is linked to a greater risk for several types of cognitive impairment, including a faster erosion in the ability to:
- Think
- Make decisions
- Remember information
To determine the way in which blood pressure readings are linked to brain function over a period of years, a team of researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed data on more than 24,000 white and Hispanic adults from a half-dozen large studies. The participants were in their 60s, on average, and had no history of stroke or dementia when they enrolled in those studies.
The University of Michigan researchers had access to nearly eight years of data on participants, on average, including their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading). Dr. Deborah Levine, lead author of the study and director of the University of Michigan’s Cognitive Health Services Research Program, commented, “Our findings suggest that high blood pressure causes faster cognitive decline, and that taking hypertension medication slows the pace of that decline.”
Managing your health is a critical part of the aging process. Dementia and cognitive decline is a fear for many aging adults. Book a call with Vick Law, P.C. to discuss how a cognitive decline diagnosis could impact how you plan for you estate.
Reference: Money Talks News (Oct. 6, 2022) “High Blood Pressure May Harm Your Ability to Think”
