Fluctuating blood pressure has been identified as a possible new warning sign for dementia and heart disease.
Having blood pressure fluctuations over 24 hours, as well as several days or weeks, was linked with impaired cognition in a new study by researchers at the University of South Australia and the University of New England.
The study, published in the journal Cerebral Circulation – Cognition and Behaviour, also showed a connection between fluctuating blood pressure and a stiffening in the arteries that is typically associated with heart disease.
High blood pressure was already a known risk factor for dementia, the study’s lead author Daria Gutteridge, a PhD candidate based in the University of South Australia’s Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neuroscience Laboratory (CAIN), said.
But, so far, little attention had been paid to fluctuating blood pressure, she said.
“Clinical treatments focus on hypertension, while ignoring the variability of blood pressure,” Gutteridge said.
“Blood pressure can fluctuate across different time frames – short and long – and this appears to heighten the risk of dementia and blood vessel health.”
It’s estimated there are around 400,000 Australians living with dementia, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures released last month.
With an ageing and growing population, it’s predicted that the number of Australians with dementia will more than double by 2058 to around 850,000 people.
About 70 healthy older adults aged 60 and 80 who had no signs of dementia or cognitive impairment took part in the new Australian study.
The blood pressure of participants was monitored, they completed a cognitive test, and their arterial stiffness in the brain and arteries was measured using transcranial Doppler sonography and pulse wave analysis.
“We found that higher blood pressure variability within a day, as well as across days, was linked with reduced cognitive performance,” Gutterage said.
“We also found that higher blood pressure variations within the systolic BP were linked with higher blood vessel stiffness in the arteries.”
(9 NEWS)