High blood pressure is linked to memory problems in people over
45, according to research published in the August 25, 2009,
print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American
Academy of Neurology. The study found that people with high
diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number of a blood
pressure reading, were more likely to have cognitive impairment,
or problems with their memory and thinking skills, than people
with normal diastolic readings. For every 10 point increase in
the reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems was
seven percent higher. The results were valid after adjusting for
other factors that could affect cognitive abilities, such as
age, smoking status, exercise level, education, diabetes or high
cholesterol. The study involved nearly 20,000 people age 45 and
older across the country who participated in the Reasons for
Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study and
had never had a stroke or mini-stroke. A total of 1,505 of the
participants, or