Normal blood pressure in adults is systolic below 140 mmHg and diastolic below 90 mmHg. High blood pressure is defined as when at least one of these two values is persistently elevated.
IQWiG: https://www.gesundheitsinformation.de/wie-wird-der-blutdruck-gemessen.html
World Health Organization. (2023). Global report on hypertension: the race against a silent killer. World Health Organization. (https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/hypertension-report)
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Why is high blood pressure a risk factor for dementia?
| Background: | High blood pressure can affect the brain in various ways and increases the risk of dementia. |
| Mechanisms: | High blood pressure, over time, strains the arteries and leads to thicker, stiffer artery walls.Atherosclerosis), also in the brain. As a result, fewer nutrients and less oxygen reach the brain cells. High blood pressure is also the strongest risk factor for a Stroke. Strokes cause brain cells to die. This can also lead to the development of vascular dementia. |
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/risk-factors-for-dementia
Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K. Y., Costafreda, S. G., Selbæk, G., Alladi, S., Ames, D., Banerjee, S., Burns, A., Brayne, C., Fox, N. C., Ferri, C. P., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Nakasujja, N., Rockwood, K., Samus, Q., … Mukadam, N. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet (London, England), 404(10452), 572–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0
Peters, R., Peters, J., Booth, A., & Anstey, K. J. (2020). Trajectory of blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol and incident dementia: systematic review. The British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science, 216(1), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.156
What can I do?
- High blood pressure can often be treated by the following Lifestyle changes to get a handle on something
- Try to lose weight.
- Eat a diet as low in salt as possible.
- Consume alcohol in moderation only.
- Give up tobacco.
- Be physically active.
- If necessary, blood pressure can also be measured Medications be reduced.
- The Decision-making assistance From Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) summarizes the main advantages and disadvantages of the different Treatment options clearly summarizes high blood pressure.
