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
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.