The journal Neurology recently published a study that found common blood pressure drugs may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, observed more than 2,200 adults aged 75 to 96 years. The researchers analyzed the protective effects of blood pressure medications such as diuretics, ARBs and ACE inhibitors.
Participants who were on such medications had a significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s than those who weren’t. In fact, they had a reduced risk by as much as 50 percent! The blood pressure drugs were associated with a reduced risk even among participants who already showed signs of mild cognitive impairment.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for long-term thinking and memory problems. While the researchers are not yet certain why blood pressure medications are associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, they suggested the reason could be that reducing blood pressure can reduce injury to the part of the brain involved with memory.
Because the study only found a correlation and not a cause-and-effect relationship, the study leader Dr. Sevil Yasar said it’s time to do clinical trials. Such trials will help determine whether or not blood pressure drugs are responsible for the decreased dementia risk, and whether or not doctors can safely prescribe these drugs to people with normal blood pressure.