UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Statement on New Research Uncovering How Blood Pressure Affects Brain Health

Washington, D.C. (August 22, 2019) – UsAgainstAlzheimer’s today released the following statement regarding new research led by University College London, which found that high blood pressure in midlife affects brain health through blood vessel damage in the brain but has no association with amyloid protein levels.

“While we have long known that high blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia later in life, we now have clarity on the mechanism by which it affects cognitive function. Our new understanding can inform preventative care decisions, even for those in their 30s. What’s more, this adds to the mounting evidence that the future of Alzheimer’s and dementia treatment lies both in preventative measures taken at every stage of life and in drug development.

“It is becoming clear that treating patients who are already symptomatic through a single mechanism of action, usually amyloid, may not be fruitful. High blood pressure is one of the single greatest risk factors for dementia and one of the most easily treatable. It’s also a risk factor that disportionately impacts communities of color who we know are at greater risk of dementia in later life. This new research underscores the importance of taking preventative brain health measures at every stage of life, treating Alzheimer’s and dementia before symptoms emerge, and attacking the disease through multiple mechanisms of action.”