HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

More than a billion people worldwide have high blood pressure — but without symptoms, the majority have no idea. Seeking out treatment can reduce a person's chances of getting Alzheimer’s and other dementias by over 40%.

A study, published in the journal Neurology, found that older adults with untreated hypertension had a 42 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s than those who received treatment. High blood pressure doesn’t directly cause Alzheimer’s but significantly increases the baseline risk. For example, people aged 65 have a two percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s over a year. With untreated hypertension, it goes up to 2.84 percent. Getting it under control can bring that back down to the baseline two percent.