Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 27 July 2018
Study: Lowering blood pressure helps prevent mental decline

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE "It's really more important to
CHICAGO (AP) — Lowering prevent MCI than demen-
blood pressure more than tia in some ways. It's like
usually recommended not preventing high cholesterol
only helps prevent heart rather than a heart attack,"
problems, it also cuts the Williamson said.
risk of mental decline that There also were fewer de-
often leads to Alzheimer's mentia cases in the in-
disease, a major study finds. tensive-treatment group
It's the first time a single step but there were too few to
has been clearly shown to say lower blood pressure
help prevent a dreaded was the reason. Dementia
condition that has had takes longer to develop
people trying crossword than mild impairment does,
puzzles, diet supplements so doctors think the differ-
and a host of other things in ence may widen over time.
hope of keeping their mind MRI scans on 454 partici-
sharp. pants showed that those
In the study, people treat- in the lower pressure group
ed to a top blood pressure had less white matter le-
reading of 120 instead of sions — areas of scarring or
140 were 19 percent less damage from injury, such
likely to develop mild cog- as inadequate blood sup-
nitive impairment. They also ply.
had fewer signs of dam- Margaret Graham, 74, has her blood pressure checked while visiting the Wake Forest Baptist "It matches" the other re-
age on brain scans, and Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday, July 13, 2018. sults on thinking skills and
there was a possible trend Associated Press bolsters the evidence that
toward fewer cases of de- lowering blood pressure
mentia. rather than 140. Normal is Half got two medicines, on and deaths. But tests of helps, said Laurie Ryan, a
"This is a big breakthrough," under 120. average, to get their top thinking skills continued for dementia scientist at the
said Dr. Jeff Williamson of High pressure can damage reading below 140. The rest two more years, and these National Institute on Aging.
Wake Forest Baptist Medi- blood vessels and has long got three drugs, on aver- new results were revealed HOW LOW TO GO?
cal Center in North Caro- been linked to a higher risk age, and aimed for 120. on Wednesday. This study's previous results
lina. "It's more important for dementia. But it's not During the study, the top Researchers saw a 19 per- led to last fall's guidelines
than ever to work with your been known if lowering pressure averaged 121 in cent lower risk of mild cog- change, setting high pres-
physician to ensure that pressure would reduce that the intensive-treatment nitive impairment, or MCI, sure at 130. Some doctors
you have good blood pres- risk or by how much. The group and 135 in the other in the intensive-treatment have criticized that as too
sure control." federally funded study was group. group — 285 cases versus aggressive, but the new
He led the study and gave designed to test this in the The study was stopped in 348 in the higher pressure results, showing benefits
results Wednesday at the most rigorous way. 2015, nearly two years ear- group. About half of peo- to the brain, "support and
Alzheimer's Association In- ABOUT THE STUDY ly, when it became clear ple with MCI develop de- maybe even extend the
ternational Conference in It involved more than 9,300 that lower pressure helped mentia over the next five guidelines," Williamson said.
Chicago. They're consid- people with high pressure. prevent heart problems years. "The goal of below 130 is
ered preliminary until pub- extremely important."
lished, expected later this The study did not test spe-
year. cific blood pressure drugs.
Independent experts Instead, each participant's
cheered the news. doctor chose which ones
"We have long known that to use from the more than
high blood pressure is bad a dozen available.
for your heart. Now we're When the heart results were
also learning it's bad for announced a few years
your brain," said James ago, doctors said that
Hendrix, director of global too-low pressure, fainting
science initiatives at the Al- episodes and some kidney
zheimer's Association. problems were a little more
THE BRAIN-BLOOD PRES- common in the intensively
SURE LINK treated group but that
About 50 million people those risks were considered
worldwide have dementia, worth the benefits of a low-
and Alzheimer's is the most er risk of heart trouble and
common type. There is no death.
cure — current medicines Getting to the lower level
such as Aricept and Na- meant using one more
menda just ease symptoms medicine, and "90 per-
— so prevention is key. cent of these are generic
Roughly half of adults in and cost less than a dol-
the United States have lar a day," Williamson said.
high blood pressure under "For a modest cost this
guidelines adopted last A cognitive test sheet completed by a study participant sits on an examination room table at has a tremendously im-
year that define it as a top Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday, July 13, 2018. portant health benefit for
number of 130 or more, Associated Press people."q