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4 Strategies to Reduce Risk of Dementia

May 21, 2016 by Joel Fuhrman, MD

Health Concerns: Dementia, Blood Pressure

Keeping your blood pressure in the favorable range is an important step toward maintaining your brain function as you age. The small arteries of the brain are sensitive to elevations in blood pressure, and long-term hypertension carries the risk of injury to these small vessels, impairing blood flow and resulting in damage to or atrophy of brain tissue. As such, high blood pressure is hazardous to the brain, contributing to the development of vascular dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and cognitive impairment. Several studies bear this out. Among their findings:1

  • High diastolic blood pressure (the lower number of the reading) at age 50 predicts poorer cognitive function at age 70.2
  • Even in younger subjects, age 40 and under, higher blood pressure correlates with poorer cognitive performance.3
  • An MRI study determined that higher systolic blood pressure (the upper number of the reading) is associated with white matter lesions. This is a type of damage to brain tissue that arises due to poor circulation and poses risk for dementia.4
  • According to long-term (20-year) studies, the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia is more than doubled if systolic blood pressure is in or above the range of 140-160 mmHg.1

Most cognitive impairment is not age related, rather it is lifestyle related  Over many years, the Western diet contributes to high blood pressure which inflicts a great deal of damage on the brain's delicate small vessels.. These strategies can help lower high blood pressure and reduce your risk for vascular dementia.

  1. Consume a diet based on whole plant foods.5
  2. Avoid salt, alcohol, and caffeine.6-8
  3. Maintain a healthy weight.9
  4. Exercise regularly.10
 
References
  1. Nagai, M., S. Hoshide, and K. Kario, Hypertension and dementia. Am J Hypertens, 2010. 23(2): p. 116-24.
  2. Kilander, L., et al., Hypertension is related to cognitive impairment: a 20-year follow-up of 999 men. Hypertension, 1998. 31(3): p. 780-6.
  3. Suhr, J.A., J.C. Stewart, and C.R. France, The relationship between blood pressure and cognitive performance in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Psychosom Med, 2004. 66(3): p. 291-7.
  4. Kuller, L.H., et al., Relationship of hypertension, blood pressure, and blood pressure control with white matter abnormalities in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS)-MRI trial. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 2010. 12(3): p. 203-12.
  5. Utsugi, M.T., et al., Fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of hypertension determined by self measurement of blood pressure at home: the Ohasama study. Hypertens Res, 2008. 31(7): p. 1435-43.
  6. Sesso, H.D., et al., Alcohol consumption and the risk of hypertension in women and men. Hypertension, 2008. 51(4): p. 1080-7.
  7. Sacks, F.M., et al., Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med, 2001. 344(1): p. 3-10.
  8. Winkelmayer, W.C., et al., Habitual caffeine intake and the risk of hypertension in women. JAMA, 2005. 294(18): p. 2330-5.
  9. Bogaert, Y.E. and S. Linas, The role of obesity in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Nat Clin Pract Nephrol, 2009. 5(2): p. 101-11.
  10. Pescatello, L.S., Exercise and hypertension: recent advances in exercise prescription. Curr Hypertens Rep, 2005. 7(4): p. 281-6. 

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe his longevity-promoting, nutrient dense, plant-rich eating style.
 
For over 30 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and PBS television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

 

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