Sydney: A new study has revealed that lowering blood pressure in older adults may reduce their risk of developing dementia.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney conducted a global study involving 28,008 individuals with an average age of 69 from 20 countries.
Associate Professor Dr. Ruth Peters from the university stated that despite no major breakthroughs in treating dementia, the reduction in the risk of developing the disease is a positive development.
Dr. Peters explained that this research provides evidence that long-term treatment to lower blood pressure reduces the risk of dementia.
However, it is still unclear whether those who maintain controlled blood pressure or those who start treatment early in life will experience long-term reductions in dementia risk.
According to Dr. Peters, multiple clinical trials have examined the benefits of lowering blood pressure.
However, most of these trials did not include outcomes related to dementia, and some used placebo treatments.
She noted that many trials were halted early due to the effects of lowered blood pressure on the heart, which often appear before signs of dementia.
The new study analyzed the relationship between blood pressure and dementia through five double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, which used various methods to lower blood pressure. Patients were monitored until they developed dementia.
Double-blind trials are experiments where neither the researcher nor the participant has any knowledge of which treatment is being administered to avoid bias.