Health
High blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease could go hand in hand, study finds
The risk of Alzheimer’s disease could escalate along with high blood pressure, according to a new study.
Published in the medical journal Neurology, the research found that people age 60 and older who have untreated high blood pressure may be more likely to develop the common dementia type.
Although the results don’t prove that untreated high blood pressure causes the disease, they do show an association, the American Academy of Neurology stated in a press release.
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Study author Matthew J. Lennon, M.D., PhD, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, wrote in a statement that high blood pressure is a “leading cause of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and yet it can be controlled with medication, reducing a person’s risk of these diseases.”
The study found that people age 60 and older with untreated high blood pressure may have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. (iStock)
While previous research has found that taking blood pressure medications can reduce dementia risk, according to Lennon, less is known about the condition’s impact on Alzheimer’s risk.
“Our meta-analysis looked at older people and found that not treating blood pressure may indeed increase a person’s risk,” he said.
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The researchers analyzed 31,250 people averaging 72 years old who were involved in studies measuring cognitive change and dementia diagnosis over time, the release stated.
After four years, 1,415 of those individuals developed Alzheimer’s disease.
A doctor points at potential evidence of Alzheimer’s disease spotted in a PET scan at Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston on March 30, 2023. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File photo)
People with untreated high blood pressure had a 36% increased risk of Alzheimer’s compared to those without the condition, the study found.
They had a 42% increased risk in comparison to those with high blood pressure who were taking blood pressure medication.
“This relationship is not altered by increasing age, which indicates that even those in their 70s and 80s are at significantly lower risk of AD if hypertension is treated,” Lennon told Fox News Digital in an email.
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“These results suggest that treating high blood pressure as a person ages continues to be a crucial factor in reducing their risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” he added.
The researchers also found that there were no significant risk differences in the effects of blood pressure or medication use across different sexes or racial groups.
“This is a very promising result, as it suggests that optimal care for one group will be similar for others,” Lennon noted.
“Treating high blood pressure as a person ages continues to be a crucial factor in reducing their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and Fox News senior medical analyst, reacted to these findings in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
Alzheimer’s involves “neuroinflammation and the formation of plaques, which interfere with neuronal communication,” noted Siegel, who was not involved in the study.
“We have long known that high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels — as well as obesity, smoking and alcohol use — contribute to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Added the doctor, “High blood pressure may accelerate this development by interfering with oxygen and blood supply to the nerve cells of the brain in some areas — especially the frontal lobe, which is affected.
Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, geriatric medicine physician and author in California, was not involved in the study but said she was not surprised by the findings.
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“We have long known that high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels — as well as obesity, smoking and alcohol use — contribute to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia,” she told Fox News Digital.
“This new study also finds a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (amyloid proteins deposing the brain) among those treated for hypertension.”
Potential study limitations
The researchers used data from 14 different longitudinal studies from around the world, Lennon noted, which means there may be some variability in the way they define dementia and high blood pressure.
“Most of the studies also did not report mortality data, and thus our analysis did not account for the competing risks of dementia and death,” the researcher told Fox News Digital.
“These results suggest that treating high blood pressure as a person ages continues to be a crucial factor in reducing their risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” a study researcher said. (iStock)
Factors like socioeconomic status, health literacy, access to medications, poorly managed medical conditions, and depression and other mental illnesses could also confound the association between hypertension status and dementia risk, Lennon added.
“Because the study is taken over a long period of time, any number of outside variables can alter the results, making it less reliable,” Landsverk noted.
Hypertension is extremely common, affecting two-thirds of those over age 65 and around 1.3 billion people worldwide, Lennon noted.
“In the vast majority of cases, it is clinically silent, causing no symptoms until you present with a heart attack, a stroke, or — as we now have shown — dementia,” Lennon said.
Hypertension is extremely common, affecting two-thirds of those over the age of 65 and around 1.3 billion people worldwide. (iStock)
Only 28% of those with high blood pressure have it under adequate control, he noted.
“While you might not feel the consequences of high blood pressure immediately, it is really important that you keep a close eye on it and bring it under control if you want to maximize your chance at a longer, happier, healthier life,” Lennon added.
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For those who are obese, Landsverk added, losing weight is the fastest way to decrease risk factors.
“In general, the healthiest approach is adopting a plant-based diet and exercising 30 minutes each day to reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia and now Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 40%,” she advised.
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A highly contagious digestive virus is surging across the U.S., experts warn.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain.
The virus primarily affects infants and young children, but there have also been outbreaks in elderly populations, such as nursing homes.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the week ending April 4, out of 2,329 rotavirus tests, 7.3% were positive for the infection. Last year’s highest infection rate was 6.77% as of the week ending April 19.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. (iStock)
“We’re seeing a lot of rotavirus in the wastewater right now,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Testing for rotavirus is way down, but the percentage of positive tests is up.”
While the virus typically peaks in the spring, it is not currently slowing down, he noted.
Why cases may be rising
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, M.D., a medical editor at GoodRx who is based in California, said there are several possible reasons for the rotavirus spike.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” she told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.”
The rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by the time a child is 8 months old, she noted.
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As a result of the declining vaccinations, herd immunity isn’t protecting vulnerable children, according to Pinto-Garcia. “Children who haven’t finished the vaccine series yet, are too young to get vaccinated, or can’t get the vaccine due to medical illness are more likely to get exposed to the illness because other children aren’t vaccinated,” she said.
Siegel noted that before the vaccine became available, rotavirus resulted in 55,000 to 70,000 in the U.S. per year.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.” (iStock)
“I am concerned that the vaccination rate has been declining over the past seven years and is continuing to decline in the current climate of vaccine skepticism,” he said.
Surveillance methods are also much better than they used to be, Pinto-Garcia noted, which means public health experts are able to pick up and track cases better than ever before.
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“But we see that rotavirus-related healthcare visits are also up, so improved detection is not the only reason we are seeing this spike,” she said.
The COVID pandemic also disrupted the pattern of infections, according to Pinto-Garcia, so it’s “tricky” to compare the current levels against older cycles.
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor,” she added.
Transmission and risk
Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group based in Nashville, Tennessee, often sees young patients with rotavirus.
“Rotavirus is spread via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person comes into contact with virus droplets from contact with other children or adults, or from contact with objects such as toys that have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is sick,” he told Fox News Digital. “This can lead to outbreaks, especially at schools where many young children share the same toys.”
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor.”
Rotavirus is associated with many dehydration cases in the hospital due to the degree of diarrhea, according to Hoy.
In some severe cases, the virus can lead to seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the stool.
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“Younger children do not have the reserves that older children and adults have, so they can become more dehydrated quicker and develop more severe electrolyte imbalances, leading to more severe infections,” Hoy said.
“Patients with problems with their immune systems or on medications that can decrease their immune systems can have more severe and prolonged infections, too.”
Treatment and care
Because rotavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective against it. There is no specific antiviral treatment for the condition, with doctors typically recommending supportive care.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” Hoy told Fox News Digital. “Sometimes it can take up to two to three days of IV fluids to help get patients rehydrated.”
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Blood draws are often necessary to evaluate patients’ electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, according to the doctor.
“If these electrolyte levels are significantly low, sometimes patients need special IV solutions or individual electrolyte medications,” he added.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted that most children recover with supportive care, but parents should seek medical attention if a child shows signs of dehydration. Those include decreased urination, lethargy or inability to keep fluids down.
“While rare, rotavirus can be life-threatening in vulnerable populations, especially very young infants or children with underlying medical conditions,” Park told Fox News Digital.
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Prevention strategies
Given the lack of antiviral medications for rotavirus, doctors emphasize the importance of prevention, primarily the vaccine.
There are two rotavirus vaccines – Rotateq (a three-dose series) and Rotarix (a two-dose series). They are given starting at age 2 months as oral drops, not injections, according to Hoy.
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“It’s important to get the rotavirus vaccines on schedule, because these younger infants are at greatest risk if they get rotavirus,” he advised.
Other recommended prevention methods include handwashing with soap and water.
Every day we’re faced with a zillion small choices: Go to sleep early, or watch one more episode of that Netflix drama. Call an old friend to catch up, or cruise social media. Of course, no single action will guarantee a long, healthy life or doom you to an early grave. But those little daily decisions do add up, and over the long term they can make a difference when it comes to both your longevity and your health span, the amount of life spent in relatively good health.
Scroll through this theoretical “day in the life” and select the option that best fits your typical day. Not every situation will apply perfectly, but think about which choice you’d be most likely to make. This isn’t a formal scientific assessment. The goal here isn’t to assign you a “good” or “bad” score, but to help you understand the central factors that shape the way we age and how long we live.
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A study from Harvard Medical School indicates natural selection has favored the red hair gene, resulting in a potential increase in the number of redheaded people as humanity continues to evolve.
By analyzing nearly 16,000 ancient genomes spanning 10,000 years, researchers identified a list of traits that nature is actively pushing forward. Among the most prominent were the genetic variants for red hair.
“Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait,” the authors noted.
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The study, published in the journal Nature, relied on a large database of ancient DNA from West Eurasia. Using new computing methods, the team was able to filter out random fluctuations in DNA to identify what it called “directional selection.”
Directional selection happens when a particular version of a gene gives an organism a strong survival or reproductive advantage, causing it to become more common in a population faster than it would by chance, according to experts.
Directional selection is when a specific gene provides such significant benefits that it rises in frequency across a population much faster than random chance. (iStock)
Prior to this study, scientists only knew of about 21 such instances in human history, one of which was lactose tolerance. This new research uncovered hundreds more.
“With these new techniques and a large amount of ancient genomic data, we can now watch how selection shaped biology in real time,” Ali Akbari, first author of the study and senior staff scientist in the lab of Harvard geneticist David Reich, said in a press release.
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The data showed that genetic markers for red hair are among 479 gene variants that have been strongly favored over the past 10,000 years. One likely explanation, the researchers said, is a major shift in human history: the transition to farming.
Scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of traits like fair skin and light hair. (iStock)
As humans moved away from hunting and gathering and settled into agricultural societies, their environment and behavior changed radically, triggering an evolutionary “acceleration.”
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While the Harvard study provides the first definitive statistical proof that red hair was actively selected during the rise of farming, the researchers noted that the exact prehistoric benefit still requires more study.
However, scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of these light-pigmented traits in northern climates.
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While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests that they may not be an evolutionary accident.
While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests they may not be an evolutionary accident. (iStock)
Instead, the red hair trait was “boosted” by natural selection as humans adapted to the challenges of a modern world, according to the researchers.
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The researchers urged caution in how these findings are interpreted.
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“What a variant is associated with now is not necessarily why an allele propagated,” the authors noted.
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