For Women, High Blood Pressure in Your 40s May Be Tied to Increased Risk of Dementia

0
1158

Women who develop high blood pressure in their 40s may be more likely to develop dementia years later, according to a study. 

“High blood pressure in midlife is a known risk factor for dementia, but these results may help us better understand when this association starts, how changes in blood pressure affect the risk of dementia and what the differences are between men and women,” said study author Rachel A. Whitmer, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. 

o

The study involved 7,238 people who were part of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care system. They all had blood pressure checks and other tests from 1964 to 1973 when they were an average age of 33, then again when they were an average age of 44. About 22 percent of the participants had high blood pressure in their 30s (31 percent of men and 14 percent of women). In their 40s, 22 percent overall had high blood pressure, but the makeup was 25 percent of men and 18 percent of women. 

Click here to read more.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
o