<p class="title">High blood pressure appears to accelerate cognitive decline among middle-aged and older adults, but treating the condition may slow this down, according to a study unveiled Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The findings are important because high blood pressure and cognitive decline are two of the most common conditions associated with ageing, and more people are living longer, worldwide," said L H Lumey, a professor at Columbia University in the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to the American Heart Association's 2017 Hypertension Guidelines, high blood pressure affects about 80 million US adults and one billion people globally.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Moreover, the relationship between brain health and high blood pressure is a growing interest as researchers examine how elevated blood pressure affects the brain's blood vessels, which in turn, may impact memory, language, and thinking skills.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The researchers analysed data collected on nearly 11,000 adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) between 2011-2015, to assess how high blood pressure and its treatment may influence cognitive decline.</p>.<p class="bodytext">High blood pressure was defined as having a systolic blood pressure of 140 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) or higher and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to guidelines of the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is defined as 130 mmHg or higher or a diastolic reading of 80 mmH or higher.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the study in China, researchers interviewed study participants at home about their high blood pressure treatment, education level and noted if they lived in a rural or urban environment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They were also asked to perform cognitive tests, such as immediately recalling words as part of a memory quiz.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Overall cognition scores declined over the four-year study.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Participants aged 55 and older who had high blood pressure showed a more rapid rate of cognitive decline compared with those who were being treated for high blood pressure and those who did not have high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rate of cognitive decline was similar between those taking high blood pressure treatment and those who did not have high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The study did not evaluate why or how high blood pressure treatments may have contributed to slower cognitive decline or if some treatments were more effective than others.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We think efforts should be made to expand high blood pressure screenings, especially for at-risk populations, because so many people are not aware that they have high blood pressure that should be treated," said presenting study author Shumin Rui, a biostatistician at Columbia University Mailman School.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This study focused on middle-aged and older adults in China, but we believe our results could apply to populations elsewhere as well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We need to better understand how high blood pressure treatments may protect against cognitive decline and look at how high blood pressure and cognitive decline are occurring together," Rui said.</p>
<p class="title">High blood pressure appears to accelerate cognitive decline among middle-aged and older adults, but treating the condition may slow this down, according to a study unveiled Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The findings are important because high blood pressure and cognitive decline are two of the most common conditions associated with ageing, and more people are living longer, worldwide," said L H Lumey, a professor at Columbia University in the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to the American Heart Association's 2017 Hypertension Guidelines, high blood pressure affects about 80 million US adults and one billion people globally.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Moreover, the relationship between brain health and high blood pressure is a growing interest as researchers examine how elevated blood pressure affects the brain's blood vessels, which in turn, may impact memory, language, and thinking skills.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The researchers analysed data collected on nearly 11,000 adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) between 2011-2015, to assess how high blood pressure and its treatment may influence cognitive decline.</p>.<p class="bodytext">High blood pressure was defined as having a systolic blood pressure of 140 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) or higher and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to guidelines of the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is defined as 130 mmHg or higher or a diastolic reading of 80 mmH or higher.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the study in China, researchers interviewed study participants at home about their high blood pressure treatment, education level and noted if they lived in a rural or urban environment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They were also asked to perform cognitive tests, such as immediately recalling words as part of a memory quiz.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Overall cognition scores declined over the four-year study.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Participants aged 55 and older who had high blood pressure showed a more rapid rate of cognitive decline compared with those who were being treated for high blood pressure and those who did not have high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rate of cognitive decline was similar between those taking high blood pressure treatment and those who did not have high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The study did not evaluate why or how high blood pressure treatments may have contributed to slower cognitive decline or if some treatments were more effective than others.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We think efforts should be made to expand high blood pressure screenings, especially for at-risk populations, because so many people are not aware that they have high blood pressure that should be treated," said presenting study author Shumin Rui, a biostatistician at Columbia University Mailman School.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This study focused on middle-aged and older adults in China, but we believe our results could apply to populations elsewhere as well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We need to better understand how high blood pressure treatments may protect against cognitive decline and look at how high blood pressure and cognitive decline are occurring together," Rui said.</p>