Do you want to avoid senile dementia? Check the pressure!
High blood pressure increases the amount of damage to the white matter of the brain and puts women at risk of developing dementia in old age. These conclusions were reached by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, whose results were published in the preliminary on-line version of the Journal of Clinical Hypertension in the article "Relationship of Hypertension, Blood Pressure, and Blood Pressure Control With White Matter Abnormalities in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) -- MRI Trial".
According to the head of the work, Professor of epidemiology Lewis Culler, hypertension is a common problem in the United States and many other countries. Constant monitoring of the pressure level, the need for which is often ignored by patients, is an important factor in preventing the development of senile dementia in women.
As part of the study, 1,424 women aged 65 and older had their blood pressure measured annually and underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. The authors paid special attention to the areas of damage to the white matter of the brain associated with an increased risk of dementia and stroke. (White matter makes up up to 60% of the brain volume and contains nerve fibers that ensure the interaction of different regions of the brain.)
Women who had high blood pressure (140/90 and higher) at the start of the study had significantly more white matter damage after 8 years than study participants with normal blood pressure. The most frequent injuries were observed in the frontal lobe of the brain, which is the center of emotion control and is considered the place of personality formation.
Kaller emphasizes that young and middle-aged women should pay more attention to their blood pressure. This will avoid the development of vascular lesions of the brain and, apparently, is by far the most effective method of preventing senile dementia.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to ScienceDaily: Dementia Linked to High Blood Pressure Years Earlier.
14.01.2010