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.
ALZHEIMER’S AND PARKINSON’S RISK IS HIGHER FOR PEOPLE WITH BODY FAT IN TWO SPECIFIC AREAS
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.
BOOST BRAIN HEALTH AND SLOW MENTAL AGING WITH 10 INTRIGUING TIPS FROM LONGEVITY EXPERTS
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.
NEW BLOOD PRESSURE PROCEDURE IS ‘GAME-CHANGING’ FOR PEOPLE WITH UNCONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, SAY DOCTORS
“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.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“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.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
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.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new test could make it easier to detect high-risk prostate cancer cases earlier.
The blood test, called Stockholm3, is showing promise in clinical trials, beating out the traditional, standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
In a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied the test’s efficacy in more than 12,000 men — mostly Swedish or European — aged 50 to 74.
NEW PROSTATE CANCER TEST PINPOINTS DISEASE BETTER THAN PSA OPTION, STUDY FINDS
All participants were tested with PSA and Stockholm3 and were followed for two years. During the follow-up period, 443 men were diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.
Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests.
Stockholm3 detected 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases compared to 74% for PSA tests. (iStock)
Stockholm3 missed “significantly fewer” serious cancer cases than PSA. The number of men incorrectly classified as high-risk was similar across both tests, according to a press release.
Thorgerdur Palsdottir, a researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, wrote in a statement that one of the major challenges in prostate cancer is being able to identify the cases that are “truly dangerous.”
‘DILBERT’ CREATOR’S DESPERATE PLEA SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON ALTERNATIVE PROSTATE CANCER DRUG
“Our results show that Stockholm3 identifies significantly more aggressive cancer cases than PSA without increasing the number of unnecessary follow-ups,” she said.
“These results point toward a potential change in how prostate cancer screening can be conducted,” the researcher added. “A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures.”
“A more precise blood test could enable earlier detection of aggressive disease while reducing the number of unnecessary follow-up examinations and procedures,” a researcher commented. (iStock)
Study co-author Hari Vigneswaran, chief medical officer of Stockholm3-maker A3P Biomedical, commented on these “promising” findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING AFTER 70: EXPERTS QUESTION GUIDANCE AFTER BIDEN’S DIAGNOSIS
He confirmed that the PSA has been the standard for prostate cancer screening since the 1990s despite its “well-documented limitations.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“It leads to invasive and costly follow-up testing, contributes to over-diagnosis of non-aggressive cancers and, most importantly, it misses a substantial share of aggressive disease,” Vigneswaran said.
When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival is close to 100%. (iStock)
When aggressive prostate cancer is found while still confined in the prostate, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%, which highlights the importance of early detection, according to the doctor.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Data from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database show that metastatic prostate cancer has risen over the past decade, suggesting that “we have not improved early detection of the aggressive, curable disease that screening is meant to catch,” Vigneswaran said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The goal of screening is to find the cancers that need treatment while they are still curable, without raising the number of men who screen positive but don’t have aggressive disease,” he said.
Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher. (Getty Images)
Stockholm3 could reduce the need for unnecessary MRIs and biopsies, according to the researcher.
The findings did have some limitations. Stockholm3 is an investigational device and is not available for sale in the U.S., Vigneswaran noted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The test estimates a man’s risk of aggressive prostate cancer, but a biopsy remains the gold standard for confirming the disease.
The company plans to seek FDA approval to use the test for routine screening and will “generate the evidence needed to support that pathway, including U.S. data,” Vigneswaran said.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli to better lung health.
There are two primary forms of vitamin K found in foods. The primary kind is vitamin K1, found mainly in vegetables, which plays a major role in the body’s blood-clotting process.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods, certain dairy products, eggs and meats and helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone health.
Researchers at Australia’s Edith Cowan University examined whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung function.
Leafy green vegetables are high in vitamin K1, a nutrient that researchers have observed conributes to improved lung health. (iStock)
“Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases worldwide and were the third leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 4 million deaths and affecting 454.6 million individuals globally,” the scientists reported in the introduction to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Although asthma and COPD can be managed with available treatments, neither condition is curable, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies,” they added.
The leading cause of COPD is smoking, the Mayo Clinic reported. Exposure to other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and pollution, can also cause it.
The researchers analyzed data from 179,062 participants over a 10-and-a-half-year period and concluded that, “Higher dietary vitamin K1 intake was associated with better lung function and a lower rate of COPD.”
Researchers found that people who increased their vitamin K1 intake were less likely to develop COPD. (iStock)
Participants who consumed the most vitamin K1 had a 16% lower likelihood of COPD, the researchers observed. The effects were more pronounced in smokers and participants with high-risk occupations.
Consumption of vitamin K2 did not result in lower COPD rates.
“No association was observed for vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 intakes and asthma,” the researchers also wrote.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Associate Professor Marc Sim, who was involved in the study, said that it’s likely Vitamin K activates a protein that may help keep lung tissue flexible and prevent damage.
Because the study was observational, it cannot prove that vitamin K1 directly reduces COPD risk, only that higher intake was associated with better lung health.
Researchers have associated higher consumption of leafy green vegetables with better lung function. (iStock)
Just one extra serving of leafy greens “is an achievable way to boost your vitamin K1 intake,” said Chengfeng Li, one of the study’s researchers.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Other foods rich in vitamin K1 include collard greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts and turnip greens.
-
Colorado45 seconds ago3 firefighters killed, 2 injured fighting wildfires near Colorado-Utah border
-
Connecticut6 minutes agoCT Lottery Powerball, Cash 5 winning numbers for June 27, 2026
-
Delaware13 minutes agoLGBTQ+ advocates look to open Wilmington visitor center, museum
-
Florida16 minutes agoWinner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 6.21.26
-
Georgia21 minutes agoFirst Alert Forecast: Heat advisory issued for parts of east Georgia amidst building heat wave
-
Hawaii28 minutes agoVolcano Watch: A hui hou to a giant of volcanology – West Hawaii Today
-
Idaho31 minutes agoIdaho celebrates grand opening of first new state park in over 2 decades – East Idaho News
-
Illinois36 minutes agoSouthern Illinois Airport Authority celebrates 76 years with ‘Big Bang Birthday Bash’
