Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has identified another risk - cognitive impairment.
However, their study has revealed that intensive blood pressure management can significantly reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in adults with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk, with benefits persisting long after the treatment has ended. The findings, published in Neurology, underscore the long-term cognitive benefits of aggressive blood pressure control.
The study, part of the National Institutes of Health-supported Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT MIND), involved 9,361 participants aged 50 and older across more than 100 clinic sites in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Participants were randomly assigned to either an intensive treatment group with a systolic blood pressure goal of less than 120 mm Hg or a standard treatment group with a goal of less than 140 mm Hg.
Over a median follow-up period of seven years, cognitive assessments were conducted both in-person and via telephone, classifying participants into categories of no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, or probable dementia. The results showed that those in the intensive treatment group had a sustained lower incidence of cognitive impairment compared to the standard treatment group.
Bolstered by previous research
The study builds on previous findings from the landmark SPRINT trial, which in 2015 demonstrated that intensive blood pressure management reduced cardiovascular disease and lowered the risk of death by 30-40% in individuals with hypertension.
The trial was stopped early due to its success, leaving questions about the long-term effects on dementia. However, initial results from SPRINT MIND in 2019 indicated a significantly reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment for up to five years following the initial 3.3 years of intensive treatment.
Researchers say the latest findings extend these benefits over a longer period, showing a continued reduction in cognitive impairment rates for at least seven years.