United States: People who receive intensive care for high blood pressure control through medication alongside coaching demonstrate a reduced risk of developing dementia, according to research findings.
More about the news
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that dementia affected 57 million people throughout the world in 2021.
Many medical specialists agree that dementia should not be viewed as a natural part of growing older.
Studies revealed that addressing 14 health risks elements, such as hearing problems, smoking habits, weight problems, heavy alcohol misuse and loneliness, and elevated blood pressure, could stop or delay approximately fifty percent of dementia cases.
Help to reduce high blood pressure lowers dementia risk, study finds.
— Professor Erwin Loh (@erwinloh) April 22, 2025
Lifestyle changes and medications found to reduce risk of cognitive disease by about 15%.
This included free or cheap medications to lower blood pressure, given at tailored doses, health coaching to help… pic.twitter.com/0aF97yRP39
Professionals conducting current research indicate that a 15% reduction in dementia risk is achievable by addressing this particular factor.
According to Prof Jiang He, the co-author of the study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, “Antihypertensive treatment can prevent dementia in patients with uncontrolled hypertension,” the Guardian reported.
“Given the high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension worldwide, this effective intervention should be widely adopted and scaled up to reduce the global burden of dementia,” he added.
How was the survey done?
The Nature Medicine journal published research detailing how 33,995 participants between 40 years old and older with high blood pressure not under control inhabited 326 rural Chinese villages.
Experimental blood pressure control delivered by “village doctors” was administered to participants living in 163 designated villages among 17,407 randomly selected villagers.
The intervention provided participants with free yet cost-effective hypertension medication, which villagers could access through flexible dosing combined with health counseling on medicine compliance and lifestyle transformation with weight loss, reduced alcohol intake, and decreased salt consumption, as well as educational resources to check blood pressure at home, as the Guardian reported.
The 163 chosen villages served as usual care locations for 16,588 participants who maintained their blood pressure treatment through standard clinical procedures.
The solution received limited patient support through blood pressure medication but excluded free monitoring equipment and therapeutic care from healthcare professionals.