Good for the heart, good for the brain
Commenting on the findings, Rebecca Edelmayer, PhD, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimer’s Association, said that the longitudinal study adds to the growing body of research showing that “what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.”
“This is still a relatively small study, and larger studies have been published that show similar results,” said Dr. Edelmayer, who was not involved with the research.
She noted that results of the large SPRINT-MIND trial, published last year in JAMA and reported by Medscape Medical News, “provided the strongest evidence to date about reducing risk of mild cognitive impairment through the management of high blood pressure.”
The Alzheimer’s Association has provided seed funding for SPRINT-MIND 2.0, a 2-year extension of the study to evaluate whether intensive blood pressure management reduces risk for all-cause dementia.
Support for the current study was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota, and the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute. Drs. Sorond and Edelmayer have reported no relevant financial relationships.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.