A long-term study conducted by Monash University and researchers at the University of Chicago found that high blood pressure variability was associated with an increased risk of dementia. The researchers suggest that a patient’s blood pressure may vary more at certain times of the day or in different environments, as a result of postural changes. However, the findings are not definitive. They suggest that more research should be done to understand the role of high blood-pressure variability in the development of dementia.
The association between high blood pressure variability and dementia is unknown, but prior studies suggest that high variability increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The results of a cohort study, the SPRINT MIND*, involved a sample of 8,379 patients. The researchers measured the blood pressure with an electronic device at baseline, two-year, and four-year follow-up examinations. The authors estimated the risk of dementia based on BPV in the tertiles.
In the health, aging, and body composition cohort study, participants with high BPV had a significantly increased risk of developing dementia. The researchers did not find any associations between hypertension and dementia at the beginning of the study. This suggests that individuals with high BPV may be more susceptible to developing dementia. The authors of the study recommend that people with high BPV should take blood pressure medications as they may be at an increased risk of developing dementia.
The findings of the SPRINT MIND study suggest that individuals with greater blood pressure variability may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with low variability. The researchers evaluated the BPV in 5,273 participants who were free of dementia, and then assessed their risks for developing the disease every two to four years. The results showed that those with high blood pressure levels had a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.
In a recent study, blood pressure variability was found to be associated with an increased risk of dementia. These findings support previous studies that have shown that people with high levels of blood pressure have a higher likelihood of developing dementia. Further, high levels of hypertension have been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline in older adults. In addition, the SPRINT MIND trial also demonstrated that higher BP variability may be an independent risk factor for dementia.
Moreover, the findings suggest that high blood pressure variability may increase the risk of dementia. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have shown that increased blood pressure variability increases the risk of dementia. Increasing BPV also increases the chance of coronary heart disease and stroke. These findings, in turn, are important for the development of treatments for cardiovascular diseases and dementia. So, if blood pressure variability is linked to dementia, these interventions should be prioritized to prevent or reduce its severity.
A systematic review found that the higher the blood pressure variability, the greater the risk of dementia. The researchers noted that these studies were based on only one study and did not consider the other variables. In the SPRINT MIND* study, researchers enrolled eight,379 people without a history of dementia. For six years, they monitored BP levels at two-year intervals. The authors concluded that individuals with high blood pressure variability had an increased risk of developing dementia.
Although the association between hypertension and dementia is not known, increased blood pressure variability and high blood pressure variability are both associated with a greater risk of dementia. In addition, high blood pressure is linked with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, but BPV is associated with an increased risk of death. The SPRINT MIND* study is the only study to link the two factors. The results suggest that higher blood pressure is a contributing factor to dementia.
