Health aNd Fitness Guide

High blood pressure may be associated with increased risk for mild cognitive impairment, says a study. Mild cognitive impairment causes learning and thinking difficulties.

Hypertension was associated with an increased risk of all types of mild cognitive impairment, especially non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment, the researchers said. But the mechanism by which blood pressure affects the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia is unclear. Hypertension may cause cognitive impairment through cerebrovascular disease. Hypertension is a risk factor for subcortical white matter lesions found commonly in Alzheimer’s disease. Hypertension may also contribute to a blood-brain barrier dysfunction, which has been suggested to be involved in the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Other possible explanations for the associations are shared risk factors, including the formation of cell-damaging compounds known as free radicals.