Washington, August 26: High blood pressure can place individuals as young as 45 at an increased risk of developing memory problems, a new study finds.
Hypertension or high blood pressure — defined as a reading of 140/90 or higher — is associated with various health conditions including stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure.
According to the study published in Neurology, individuals with high diastolic blood pressure — the second and lower reading of two measures taken for blood pressure — are more likely to have cognitive impairment.
For every 10 point increase in the diastolic blood pressure, the risk of developing memory problems increases by 7 percent.
Scientists therefore concluded that high blood pressure is a strong risk factor for cognitive decline, adding that aggressive early treatment of the condition can potentially prevent cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia.
—–Agencies