If you take drugs to lower your blood pressure, your medication
may also lower your risk of dementia, according to a new study
released Monday by the American Academy of Neurology. According
to the study, people taking beta blockers, a class of drugs used
to treat a number of conditions including high blood pressure,
glaucoma and migraines, were less likely to have less cognitive
impairment than those that did not. Beta blockers cause the
heart to beat slower and with less force, which reduces blood
pressure. They also open up blood vessels to increase blood
flow. For the last 21 years, 774 Japanese-American men between
the ages of 71 and 93 took part in the study. Of those, 610 had
hypertension or were taking medication to lower their blood
pressure. Among those treated, 15% took only beta blockers and
18% got a beta blocker plus one or more other blood pressure
medications. The remaining men didn't take any beta blocker as
part of their treatment. Autopsies performed after their deaths
showed the group that