Orthostatic Hypotension Linked to Dementia Risk Later in Life

HealthDay News — Middle-aged adults with orthostatic hypotension may be at increased risk for dementia in later years, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions, held from March 7 to 10 in Portland, Ore.

Andreea Rawlings, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues analyzed data from 11,503 adults, average age 54, who were followed for 20 or more years.

The researchers found that individuals with orthostatic hypotension at the outset were 40% more likely to develop dementia than others. They also had a 15% increased risk of cognitive decline.

“Identifying risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia is important for understanding disease progression, and being able to identify those most at risk gives us possible strategies for prevention and intervention,” Rawlings said in a Hopkins news release. “This is one of those factors worth more investigation.”

Reference

Rapid blood pressure drops in middle age linked to dementia in old age [news release]. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; March 10, 2017. http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2017/rapid-blood-pressure-drops-in-middle-age-linked-to-dementia-in-old-age.html. Accessed March 16, 2017.

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