A Harvard Medical school report on hypertension
with credit due to the editors for Harvard Health Publications. Najam Hasan
Hypertension:
An alarming one in three American adults
has high blood pressure. Known medically as hypertension, many people don't
even know they have it because high blood pressure has no symptoms or
warning signs. But when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal
cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and
heart accelerates exponentially. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to
detect and treat. Sometimes people can keep blood pressure in a healthy range
simply by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, increasing activity,
and eating more healthfully. This report details those changes, including a
Special Section that features numerous ways to cut excess salt from your diet —
a policy strongly recommended by new federal guidelines. This report also
includes tips on how to use a home blood pressure monitor, as well as advice on
choosing a drug treatment strategy based your age and any other existing
medical issues you may have.
Blood pressure and your brain
When you think of the effects of high blood pressure, you probably
think of heart attack and stroke. And for good reasons—many patients with high
blood pressure develop coronary artery disease or heart failure, and many die
as a result. But all parts of the body depend on the circulation, and many
organs suffer from the impact of untreated high blood pressure. One of the
organs at greatest risk is the brain.
High pressure, short memory
A variety of illnesses and medications can contribute to memory
loss—and as research continues to come in, it's increasingly clear that high
blood pressure takes a toll on the aging brain.
Mild cognitive impairment can be a problem, but it's usually quite
manageable. But severe memory loss is a disaster; it causes severe disturbances
of memory, reasoning, and judgment.
The details vary from study to study, but the weight of evidence
now suggests that high blood pressure increases the risk of mild cognitive
impairment, a type of dementia called vascular dementia, and even Alzheimer's
disease. Both high systolic (the top number of a blood pressure reading)
pressure and high diastolic (the bottom number) pressure take a toll. In
general, the higher the pressure and the longer it persists without treatment,
the greater the risk.
Most investigations focus on older adults. For example, a study of
2,505 men between the ages of 71 and 93 found that men with systolic pressures
of 140 mm Hg or higher were 77% more likely to develop dementia than men with
systolic pressures below 120 mm Hg. And a study that evaluated blood pressure
and cognitive function in people between 18 and 46 and between 47 and 83 found
that in both age groups high systolic and diastolic pressures were linked to
cognitive decline over time.
Treat blood pressure, prevent dementia?
The damage and disability done, by dementia, cannot be
reversed. That makes prevention doubly important. Can treating high blood
pressure help prevent dementia?
Yes. Here's some of the evidence:
- European scientists reported that long-term therapy for high blood
pressure reduced the risk of dementia by 55%.
- One American study linked therapy to a 38% lower risk.
- Another reported that each year of therapy was associated with a 6%
decline in the risk of dementia.
- A study of American men and women linked therapy to a 36% reduction
in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. In that study, a type of medication
called diuretics appeared to be the most beneficial medication.
- A team of investigators from Harvard and Boston University reported
that six months of high blood pressure treatment actually improved blood
flow to the brain.
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The
risk factors that increase your chances of having a stroke
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Why
stroke symptoms can differ from person to person
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The
reason “mini-strokes” can be just as serious as ischemic strokes
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The
app you should have on your phone or tablet that shows how to detect a stroke
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The
type of therapist you may not know about who can help you regain speech after
a stroke
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And
so much more!
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Never too late
It's good to know that blood pressure control can reduce the risk
of cognitive dysfunction. But what about people who already have mild memory
loss? Can treating high blood pressure help stave off further damage?
Perhaps. Italian scientists studied 80 patients with mild
cognitive dysfunction. Over a two-year period, people who were given
medications to treat high blood pressure were 80% less likely to progress to
full-blown Alzheimer's than untreated patients. It's only one study, and a
small one at that, but hopefully additional research will back up that finding.
An alarming one in three American adults has high blood
pressure. Known medically as hypertension, many people don't even know they
have it because high blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs. But
when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal cholesterol and blood
sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and heart accelerates
exponentially. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat.
Sometimes…
Stroke is a feared medical problem because it can be
debilitating or even deadly. Your best defense is to make sure you know how to
prevent a stroke and how to recognize one so you can get
treatment right away.
In Stroke, Harvard Medical School experts distil
the latest research and recommendations into understandable advice that can
help you prevent or cope with a stroke.
Harvard Medical School’s Stroke report
reveals:
Prepared by the editors of Harvard
Health Publications in consultation with Randie M. Black-Schaffer, M.D., M.A.,
Medical Director, Stroke Program Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Associate
Chief for Clinical Affairs Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Harvard Medical School with Natalia Rost, M.D., Stroke Neurologist, Massachusetts
General Hospital, Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School.
