The American Heart Association recently reclassified the definition of high blood pressure; changing it from 140/90 to 130/80. This means millions of new patients are now officially hypertensive. But drugs and other techniques to lower blood pressure can carry some cautions, including mental effects that might occur. The brain may benefit from some amount of high blood pressure for older patients. A recent medical study looked at dementia in the elderly, and discovered there was a link between high blood pressure and how less likely the subject was to develop dementia.
Key Takeaways:
- The American Heart Association has lowered the definition of hypertension, meaning many patients are now seeking to lower their blood pressure.
- Research tracking a group of patients in their 90s found a correlation between higher blood pressures and reduced risk of dementia.
- Neurologists looking at the study data speculate that higher blood pressure could be the body’s way of ensuring the brain receives enough oxygen.
“Research at the University of California, Irvine showed that hypertension may be your body’s way of preventing dementia.”
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