High Blood Pressure at Any Age Can Increase Dementia Risk Written by Elizabeth Pratt on December 13, 2020 — Fact checked by Maria Gifford Researchers say even a short stint of high blood pressure at a young age can affect cognitive decline at a later age. Sisoje / Getty Images Researchers say high blood pressure at any age can increase a person’s risk for dementia later in life. They add that the risk isn’t affected by how long someone has high blood pressure. Experts say there are ways to reduce your risk for high blood pressure, ranging from medications to exercise to diet.