January 26, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's a new reason to watch your blood
pressure -- it might help save you from dementia.

New research suggests that hypertension may cause a kind of
scarring that interferes with communication between brain cells.
That scarring, known as white matter lesions, has been linked to
development of Alzheimer's and other dementias later in life.

Researchers have found an increase in white matter lesions with
each 20-point jump in systolic pressure above the recommended
limit. Systolic pressure is the bigger of the two numbers.

The evidence is strong enough that the National Institutes of
Health will soon begin enrolling thousands of people with
hypertension into a major study. The aim will be to see if pushing
blood pressure lower than currently recommended might better
protect not just hearts, but brains.