Tight blood pressure control can cut memory loss, study finds
(KYMA, KECY/NBC News) -Lowering blood pressure to recommended levels can prevent dementia and the memory and thinking problems that often show up first, researchers reported Wednesday.
People whose top blood pressure reading was taken down to 120 were 19 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, the loss of memory and brain processing power that usually precedes Alzheimer’s, the study found. And they were 15 percent less likely to eventually develop cognitive decline and dementia.
“This is really exciting,” said Heather Snyder, senior director of medical operations for the Alzheimer’s Association. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the association in Chicago.