Latest news with #JuliaDudley
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Lowering your blood pressure could slash your risk of dementia by 15% – the 14 lifestyle tweaks to make today
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.'
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Lowering your blood pressure could slash your risk of dementia by 15% – the 14 lifestyle tweaks to make today
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 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.'
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Simple tweak can cut dementia risk by 15 per cent and prevent mental decline, experts discover
Reducing high blood pressure cuts the risk of dementia by 15 per cent, a major 'wake-up call' study has found. Nearly 34,000 individuals aged 40 and over were studied to see if treating hypertension had an impact on cognitive impairment over four years. Those who took blood pressure pills, lost weight and cut down on salt and alcohol were found to have a significantly lower chance of going on to suffer mental decline. Masud Husain, professor of neurology at the University of Oxford, called the study as a 'landmark' in dementia research. 'It is a wake-up call to treat high blood pressure intensively, not just to protect the heart but also the brain,' he said. 'Remarkably, within just four years, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of dementia by aggressively treating raised blood pressure. 'Although many patients and their GPs understand how important it is to treat blood pressure, they might not appreciate what a risk it poses for developing dementia.' Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. The number of people with the condition is expected to rise from 57.4 million worldwide in 2019 to 152.8 million by 2050, with the greatest impact being in low- to middle-income countries. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center gave medication and intensive healthcare coaching to 17,407 patients with untreated high blood pressure in rural Chinese villages. They were guided to lose weight and reduce the amount of salt and alcohol they consumed. A further 16,588 patients were given 'usual care' - namely blood pressure management advice and regular monitoring. The risk of all-cause dementia was reduced by 15 per cent and general cognitive impairment dropped by 16 among the first group. The study, published in Nature Medicine, suggests that reducing blood pressure could be an easy way to reduce this global burden. Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, called on the government to do more to tackle health and lifestyle factors that may cause dementia. 'This could mean introducing policies to reduce salt, sugar, and calories in processed foods, and lowering the NHS Health Check eligibility age in England from 40 to 30, so more people can start managing their blood pressure earlier in life,' she said. '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. 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.' Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer's Society, said: 'We know that what's good for your heart is often also good for your head. 'This is one of the first big trials to test whether treating high blood pressure, supported by health coaching, can reduce dementia risk - and the results appear to be promising. 'It is encouraging that the intervention worked in real-world, rural settings using non-physician healthcare workers, which may have implications for delivering care in areas with limited resources in the future. 'However, this four-year study cannot tell us whether the benefits will last in the long-term so we will continue to follow this trial.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK's most commonly prescribed drug cuts risk of dementia, study suggests
A common drug prescribed to help lower cholesterol levels has been found to cut dementia risk. High cholesterol has long been linked to general poor health, but a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry revealed it may also increase the risk of dementia. It found people with lower levels of 'bad cholesterol' in their blood are less likely to develop the memory robbing condition. The study suggested that cholesterol-lowering statins, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, also offered a boost in protection against dementia. Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance found in the blood. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) also known as 'bad cholesterol' can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke if they are too high. But exercising and eating healthily can bring these levels down. Drugs called statins, which are given to around 8 million Britons, are also prescribed to those with high cholesterol if lifestyle changes are not enough, helping to prevent cardiovascular event. However, researchers from Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea claimed the drug could also protect against dementia. The scientists analysed data collected by 11 university hospitals which followed adults for 180 days after they got their cholesterol levels tested and observed whether the patients went on to develop dementia in the study period. Researchers identified 192,213 people with LDL levels less than 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with LDL levels more than 3.4 mmol/L. Those with lower LDL levels were 26 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared with those who had higher cholesterol levels. These patients were also 28 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. However, if LDL levels dropped below 1.4 mmol/L, participants only had an 18 per cent lower risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's. Plus, when LDL levels dipped below 0.8 mmol/L, the protective effect disappeared entirely. Researchers found the drug statins did boost protection against dementia, even when participants LDL levels were already on the lower side. For those below 1.8 mmol/L, dementia risk was reduced by 13 per cent and Alzheimer' by 12 per cent in comparison to those who did not take statins. Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK says: 'High levels of LDL cholesterol were identified as a risk factor for dementia in last year's Lancet Commission on dementia prevention.' 'The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range,' she added. 'However, dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors. Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk.' Researchers explained that because it was an observational study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The authors concluded: 'Low LDL-C levels (<70 mg/dL (<1.8 mmol/L)) are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease related dementia, with statin therapy providing additional protective effects.'
The Independent
05-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
UK's most commonly prescribed drug cuts risk of dementia, study suggests
A common drug prescribed to help lower cholesterol levels has been found to cut dementia risk. High cholesterol has long been linked to general poor health, but a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry revealed it may also increase the risk of dementia. It found people with lower levels of 'bad cholesterol' in their blood are less likely to develop the memory robbing condition. The study suggested that cholesterol-lowering statins, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, also offered a boost in protection against dementia. Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance found in the blood. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) also known as 'bad cholesterol' can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke if they are too high. But exercising and eating healthily can bring these levels down. Drugs called statins, which are given to around 8 million Britons, are also prescribed to those with high cholesterol if lifestyle changes are not enough, helping to prevent cardiovascular event. However, researchers from Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea claimed the drug could also protect against dementia. The scientists analysed data collected by 11 university hospitals which followed adults for 180 days after they got their cholesterol levels tested and observed whether the patients went on to develop dementia in the study period. Researchers identified 192,213 people with LDL levels less than 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with LDL levels more than 3.4 mmol/L. Those with lower LDL levels were 26 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared with those who had higher cholesterol levels. These patients were also 28 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. However, if LDL levels dropped below 1.4 mmol/L, participants only had an 18 per cent lower risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's. Plus, when LDL levels dipped below 0.8 mmol/L, the protective effect disappeared entirely. Researchers found the drug statins did boost protection against dementia, even when participants LDL levels were already on the lower side. For those below 1.8 mmol/L, dementia risk was reduced by 13 per cent and Alzheimer' by 12 per cent in comparison to those who did not take statins. Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK says: 'High levels of LDL cholesterol were identified as a risk factor for dementia in last year's Lancet Commission on dementia prevention.' 'The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range,' she added. 'However, dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors. Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk.' Researchers explained that because it was an observational study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The authors concluded: 'Low LDL-C levels (<70 mg/dL (<1.8 mmol/L)) are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease related dementia, with statin therapy providing additional protective effects.'
