Source :- bizjournals.com
According to researchers, there has been a proven link between blood pressure and Alzheimer’s for years.
In 2014, according to the World Alzheimer Report, there were multiple studies that followed large groups of people for 15 to 40 years and showed that those who had high blood pressure were more likely to develop vascular dementia later in life. This is the second-most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, which in turn starves brain cells of the oxygen and nutrients that are needed to function properly.
It is very important to understand exactly what high blood pressure is, as well as Alzheimer’s.
Your blood pressure is measured by the force applied to your arteries as blood is being circulated around the body by the heart. Blood pressures are reported as two numbers. The first or top number represents the systolic pressure, which is a measure of the pressure on your arteries per beat of the heart. The second or lower number is diastolic pressure, which measures the remaining pressure when the heart rests between beats. Normal blood pressure readings are around 120/80 mmHg.
High blood pressure is known as hypertension, and is diagnosed when your blood pressure is consistently above the 140/90 mmHg mark. This serious condition can lead to one suffering from heart attacks and even strokes.
Alzheimer’s disease is a non-reversible, progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills slowly. The ability to carry out some of the simplest tasks is even compromised. For most people, symptoms of this disease first appear in their mid-60s. It is estimated that nearly 5.5 million Americans suffer from dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.
According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and it is the fifth-leading cause among those 65 and over.
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High blood pressure can cause damage to the small blood vessels in the brain, affecting parts of the brain that are responsible for thinking and memory.
According to a recent report, blood pressure medication can improve the blood flow to a key brain region in people who are battling Alzheimer’s disease. A small clinical trial recently conducted revealed these findings.
In this trial that studied about 44 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, patients were randomly assigned to take a blood pressure drug called nilvadipine or inactive placebo pills for six consecutive months.
By the end of this study, patients who were on the drug, showed an increase of 20% with their blood flow to the hippocampus, which is a brain structure that is involved in memory and learning that is considered one of the first areas to become damaged by Alzheimer’s. While studies have not proven that blood pressure medication can actually aid in the reduction of Alzheimer’s, researchers are still investigating.
As research continues, there are several things that you can do to bring your blood pressure down:
Eat real food
Avoid processed foods as much as possible — that means even those canned vegetables, which often are filled with high sodium. Consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish and nuts.
Nix the extra weight
Getting rid of extra weight can have profound effects on your blood pressure. Losing weight can shave off close to 5 points off of the systolic (top number) blood pressure, and nearly 4 off of the diastolic (bottom number).
Monitor your blood pressure at home
By monitoring your blood pressure at home, you can improve your blood pressure more than just having it checked when you visit your doctor. You can ask your doctor for recommendations on home blood pressure cuffs. There are also many pharmacies and drugstores that offer free blood pressure readings.