logo
Lowering your blood pressure could slash your risk of dementia by 15% – the 14 lifestyle tweaks to make today

Lowering your blood pressure could slash your risk of dementia by 15% – the 14 lifestyle tweaks to make today

Scottish Sun21-04-2025

SLASHING high blood pressure could help protect against dementia, new research suggests.
People with high blood pressure who took medication and accepted coaching to lower it reduced their risk of the brain disease by 15 per cent, scientists found.
1
Blood pressure medicines can help slash the risk of dementia
Credit: Getty
Nearly a million Brits have dementia and it is the leading cause of death.
The new study, published in Nature Medicine, today, backs up what experts have long stressed: that dementia is not an inevitability of ageing.
'Antihypertensive treatment can prevent dementia in patients with uncontrolled hypertension," said Prof Jiang He, co-author of the study from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
"Given the high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension worldwide, this effective intervention should be widely adopted and scaled up to reduce the global burden of dementia."
Around one in three adults in the UK suffer from high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
It can be caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, or stress, according to the NHS.
Hypertension can raise the risk of dementia by damaging blood vessels in the brain, which reduces blood flow and can lead to strokes or brain damage.
The new study builds on earlier findings, including research published in The Lancet last year that revealed that half of dementia cases could be prevented with 14 healthy habits.
Reducing high blood pressure was one, along with lowering cholesterol and good education and mental stimulation.
'Looking after our heart and blood vessel health is something we can all do to improve our overall wellbeing and reduce our risk of dementia," Dr Julia Dudley, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said.
Five simple tests that could indicate dementia
"With no current treatments available on the NHS to slow or stop the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more pressing need to promote good brain health and to gain a deeper understanding of how we can reduce our risk of developing dementia."
The trial, led by researchers in China and the US, involved nearly 34,000 people over 40 with uncontrolled high blood pressure across 326 rural Chinese villages.
Half were given intensive blood pressure care - free or low-cost meds, lifestyle coaching – such as weight loss, alcohol reduction and reducing salt intake advice.
They were also equipment and instructions to monitor blood pressure at home.
The other half had usual clinical care - meaning participants' blood pressure was managed in their normal clinical settings.
Lifestyle changes were recommended and some took blood pressure-lowering drugs.
But this group did not receive free at-home blood pressure monitors, medications, or coaching.
After four years, those on the intensive programme were 15 per cent less likely to develop dementia.
They also had a 16 per cent lower risk of cognitive problems without full-blown dementia.
Researchers said both groups were similar at the start, so the results are likely reliable.
However, Prof Joanna Wardlaw, from the University of Edinburgh, said the study doesn't show whether it was the blood pressure meds or the lifestyle changes that made the difference - it's likely a mix of both.
Other experts said longer studies are needed, and the approach should be tested in other countries too.
"Further studies are needed to understand how other risk factors like genetics interact with factors like high blood pressure to influence dementia risk,' Dr Julia added.
'It will also be interesting to see whether the interventions trialled in this study can work in other populations across the world," she added.
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, the director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, said the research 'provides further strong evidence supporting the importance of managing blood pressure and other cardiovascular risks to protect the brain during ageing'.
She added: 'It is important to note that treating high blood pressure was not a foolproof guarantee as some people receiving treatment still developed dementia.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hospitals could run GP surgeries under NHS reforms
Hospitals could run GP surgeries under NHS reforms

Western Telegraph

time29 minutes ago

  • Western Telegraph

Hospitals could run GP surgeries under NHS reforms

Wes Streeting said the forthcoming 10 year health plan would also see 'much of what's done in a hospital today, will be done on the high street'. But he stressed the Government was 'not embarking on another top-down reorganisation' of the health service. The plan is expected to be published in July. Speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester, Mr Streeting said: 'The NHS should not be bound by traditional expectations of how services should be arranged. Nearly a quarter of a million off NHS waiting lists. Lowest level in two years. And the first time they've fallen in April in 17 years! Lots done, lots to do. We're delivering our Plan for Change. I won't rest until the job is done. — Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) June 12, 2025 'I am open to our strongest acute trusts providing not just community services, as many already do, but also primary care. 'Whatever services will enable them to meet the needs of their patients in a more integrated and efficient way. 'Indeed, I would hope that those old-fashioned labels – acute, community – become increasingly meaningless. 'Likewise, there is no reason why successful GPs should not be able to run local hospitals, or why nurses should not be leading neighbourhood health services.' Mr Streeting talked about the 'jeopardy' facing the NHS, adding: 'Just as public satisfaction has plunged to its lowest level on record, major political parties have begun to question the very existence of a publicly funded universal healthcare system free at the point of need. 'And I can almost feel them willing us on to fail, because if all of us fail in our mission to turn the NHS around, the vultures on the populist rivals swoop in for the kill. 'The NHS is in a fight for its life but nothing I have experienced in my first 11 months in office have shaken my conviction or confidence that this is a fight we will win.' Meanwhile he spoke about the spending review, likening himself to the survivor in the popular book series, The Hunger Games. 'Yesterday's spending review was a vital moment on that journey,' he said. 'There have been broadly two sorts of reactions to this. The first, mainly from the media and the public – '£29 billion is a hell of a lot of money'; the second, mainly from our think tank friends – '£29 billion is nowhere near enough'. The truth is, both are right. 'It is objectively a substantial funding settlement that puts wind in our sails. But investment alone isn't enough. 'There is no fix to the NHS's problems that simply pours more money into a broken system. 'It is only through the combination of investment and reform that we will succeed in getting the NHS back on its feet and making make it fit for the future.' He told delegates at the conference: 'Despite my best efforts at the Cabinet yesterday morning before the spending review announcement, to put the blame on John Healey the Defence Secretary for the squeeze on other government departments, none of my colleagues were buying. 'In fact, one permanent secretary once referred to me as the Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games. 'We're a Labour Government – the NHS is all of our priorities, and there isn't a single person sat with me around the Cabinet table who doesn't value what you're doing, doesn't underestimate the scale of the task that we have ahead of us, and they are all rooting for us to succeed, every single one of them.' Commenting on the speech, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'The Secretary of State is right that the divides between acute, primary, community are already being broken down, supported by the work of integrated care boards. 'Redesigning services is essential to the future of the NHS and many providers are already breaking down their traditional silos to offer patients truly personalised and integrated care.' He added: 'The extra funding announced at the spending review is very welcome and, as Mr Streeting says, it is both a lot of money and not enough. 'Many of our members have warned they will not hit the interim target, with only one in two confident they will achieve the 65% elective care interim target by March 2026. 'That is why redesigning services is so essential – the combination of investment and reform – so that we can achieve the Government's three ambitions.'

'You want to kiss your newborn - I have heartbreaking reason why you never should'
'You want to kiss your newborn - I have heartbreaking reason why you never should'

Wales Online

time41 minutes ago

  • Wales Online

'You want to kiss your newborn - I have heartbreaking reason why you never should'

'You want to kiss your newborn - I have heartbreaking reason why you never should' Violet-May Constantinou was diagnosed at just eight days old Hailey Riches and Dimitri Constantinou with baby daughter Lily (Image: Hailey Riches/SWNS ) A heartbroken mum is warning people not to kiss newborn babies after losing her daughter to a viral infection. Hailey Riches, 25, knew there was something wrong with Violet-May Constantinou after she refused to feed and had yellow skin. She was advised to take Violet to hospital as she "started getting worse". At eight days old it was found out from a series of tests that she had contracted neonatal herpes (HSV-1) - a serious infection in newborns caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). ‌ Violet was immediately given anti-viral medication, but her condition quickly deteriorated and she began to experience seizures. She was consequently taken to Southampton Hospital, where she was placed in intensive care. ‌ Doctors noticed the newborn was having acute liver failure and, despite being put on the highest priority in the UK for a liver transplant, she tragically died at one month old while still waiting. They told mum Hailey and dad Dimitri Constantinou, 30, they would never know where the herpes came from. Hailey and her fiancée have vowed to spread awareness for people with cold sores, or those prone to the virus, to keep away from newborn babies. Hailey said: "I do see it online many times people saying 'but why can't we kiss a baby?' when it is not their baby - it frustrates me because of having gone through this situation. Article continues below "This is why you have to be slightly protective and be aware. If you have got a cold sore don't go near a baby because it is deadly and can kill them. "This is not to scare new mums or pregnant women. It is to say if you are not feeling right in yourself and if the baby is not feeling right then to be persistent and get it checked." Violet-May in hospital (Image: Hailey Riches/SWNS ) ‌ Hailey added: "I don't have genital herpes, none of my family or myself had a cold sore outbreak. They said it is most likely from an outsource, but they are not sure who. "Anyone can spread the virus without even knowing. Even if you have got no symptoms you might still pass it on." Hailey, who works as a speciality coordinator for the NHS, said she had a "normal" pregnancy and gave birth via an emergency caesarean on March 22, 2023. ‌ Despite the newborn seeming "fine and well" once the family returned home mum Hailey noticed that Violet started to feed less, looking fatigued and had yellow skin. A health visitor advised Hailey to take her to Worthing Hospital - where she was checked with a jaundice machine. The newborn was sent home, but everything "started to get worse", explained Hailey. At eight days old, Violet was still having troubles feeding, so Hailey took her back into hospital, where a nurse discovered she had a high temperature. At that point mum Hailey was admitted with sepsis. This led to blood checks and a lumber puncture, which revealed that Violet had neonatal herpes (HSV-1) - a serious infection in newborns caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). ‌ It can be contracted before, during, or after birth. Type 1 (HSV-1) is mostly spread by oral contact through kissing, sharing drinks or utensils, and causes infections in or around the mouth, like cold sores. Violet was immediately given anti-viral medication, but her condition quickly deteriorated, and she began to experience seizures. On April 1, she was taken to Southampton Hospital where she was placed in intensive care. Violet-May with yellowing skin in hospital (Image: Hailey Riches/SWNS ) ‌ Hailey, of Billingshurst, Sussex, said: "The doctors said that we will be lucky to see her survive the next 24 to 48 hours. She was deteriorating further and then they decided to flew her by helicopter to King's College Hospital in London because they realised she was having acute liver failure." Hailey said: "It was absolutely traumatising. The worst time of our family's life - I don't think our family has ever gone through such a traumatic time. "Every day something was happening and she was deteriorating further - it affected her brain, her lungs, she then had a cardiac arrest at one point where we watched her being resuscitated for nine minutes. It just got worse and worse and it was time to say goodbye at the end." ‌ To their happiness on August 16, 2024, Hayley and her fiancé welcomed daughter Lily into the world. But Hailey explained she was "terrified" during the first months of giving birth following her experience with Violet. Hailey Riches and Dimitri Constantinou with baby daughter Violet-May in hospital (Image: Hailey Riches/SWNS ) She said: "I had consultants telling me the first six weeks are crucial to protect her because they have no immune system. I had always said to people no kissing, wash your hands when you come in or if you want to hold her. We were very protective because of the situation we went through. Article continues below Hailey concluded: "Thank you to Southampton General Hospital, the Pediatric Unit and Ronald McDonald charity who accommodated us in Southampton and London during these tragic times."

Council tax bills set to rise at fastest rate for two decades, economist warns
Council tax bills set to rise at fastest rate for two decades, economist warns

North Wales Chronicle

timean hour ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Council tax bills set to rise at fastest rate for two decades, economist warns

Paul Johnson said that local government in England did 'perhaps a little bit better than it might have expected' out of the Chancellor's statement on Wednesday, but the 'sting in the tail' is the assumption that 'council tax bills will rise by 5% a year' as part of the funding. The core spending power of councils is set to increase by 2.6% a year from next year, and 'if English councils do choose 5% increases – and most almost certainly will – council tax bills look set to rise at their fastest rate over any parliament since 2001-05', Mr Johnson said on Thursday. On Wednesday, Ms Reeves said that ministers will not be 'going above' the 5% annual increases in council tax. She told ITV: 'The previous government increased council tax by 5% a year, and we have stuck to that. We won't be going above that. 'That is the council tax policy that we inherited from the previous government, and that we will be continuing.' The biggest winner from Wednesday's statement was the NHS, which will see its budget rise by £29 billion per year in real terms. Ruth Curtice, the chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, has said that Britain is turning into a 'National Health State'. Overnight, the think tank said Ms Reeves' announcements had followed a recent trend that saw increases for the NHS come at the expense of other public services. Ms Curtice said: 'Health accounted for 90% of the extra public service spending, continuing a trend that is seeing the British state morph into a National Health State, with half of public service spending set to be on health by the end of the decade.' Defence was another of Wednesday's winners, Ms Curtice said, receiving a significant increase in capital spending while other departments saw an overall £3.6 billion real-terms cut in investment. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made similar arguments about 'substantial' investment in the NHS and defence coming at the expense of other departments, although Mr Johnson warned on Wednesday the money may not be enough. In his snap reaction to the review, Mr Johnson said: 'Aiming to get back to meeting the NHS 18-week target for hospital waiting times within this Parliament is enormously ambitious – an NHS funding settlement below the long-run average might not measure up. 'And on defence, it's entirely possible that an increase in the Nato spending target will mean that maintaining defence spending at 2.6% of GDP no longer cuts the mustard.' Ms Curtice added that low and middle-income families had also done well out of the spending review 'after two rounds of painful tax rises and welfare cuts', with the poorest fifth of families benefiting from an average of £1,700 in extra spending on schools, hospitals and the police. She warned that, without economic growth, another round of tax rises was likely to come in the autumn as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books. She said: 'The extra money in this spending review has already been accounted for in the last forecast. 'But a weaker economic outlook and the unfunded changes to winter fuel payments mean the Chancellor will likely need to look again at tax rises in the autumn.' Speaking after delivering her spending review, Ms Reeves insisted she would not have to raise taxes to cover her spending review. She told GB News: 'Every penny of this is funded through the tax increases and the changes to the fiscal rules that we set out last autumn.' Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described rising health spending as a 'conundrum', with a similar approach having been taken 'again and again' as she spoke at a business conference in central London on Thursday morning. In reference to a pro-Brexit campaign stunt, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I mean, who remembers the side of a red bus that said 'we're going to give the NHS £350 million more a week'? 'Many people don't know that we did that. We did do that, and yet, still we're not seeing the returns. 'We've put more and more money in, and we're getting less and less out.' The Government have not explained how and why the NHS will be better as a result of its spending plans, the Tory leader added, and claimed the public know 'we need to start talking about productivity reforms, public sector reforms'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store