The Brain and Hypertension

A Population-Based Study on Blood Pressure and Brain Atrophy in 85-Year-Olds

“…6,7 We also confirmed previous reports 12,27 that systolic and diastolic blood pressure is lower in individuals with manifest Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia than in nondemented individuals and that blood pressure decreases with dementia severity. These findings are supported by reports that blood pressure declines in the years preceding dementia onset 11 and further declines during the course of Alzheimer's disease.…”

“…With increasing age, the prevalence of cerebral disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia increases, 4 but cerebral changes also occur in normal aging. 5 Several brain areas suggested to have a role in blood pressure regulation [6][7][8] are affected in Alzheimer's disease 9 and in normal aging. 5 Brain disorders may thus also contribute to the decrease in blood pressure observed in the very elderly.…”

A Population-Based Study on Blood Pressure and Brain Atrophy in 85-Year-Olds

“…6,7 We also confirmed previous reports 12,27 that systolic and diastolic blood pressure is lower in individuals with manifest Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia than in nondemented individuals and that blood pressure decreases with dementia severity. These findings are supported by reports that blood pressure declines in the years preceding dementia onset 11 and further declines during the course of Alzheimer's disease.…”

“…With increasing age, the prevalence of cerebral disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia increases, 4 but cerebral changes also occur in normal aging. 5 Several brain areas suggested to have a role in blood pressure regulation [6][7][8] are affected in Alzheimer's disease 9 and in normal aging. 5 Brain disorders may thus also contribute to the decrease in blood pressure observed in the very elderly.…”

Time trends in the relation between blood pressure and dementia in 85-year-olds

“…Dementia disorders may affect areas of the brain involved in central blood-pressure regulation, such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, locus coeruleus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, dorsolateral pons and the nucleus ambiguus in medulla oblongata [47]. In support of this, brain atrophy has been reported to associate with lower BP in normal aged people [15,16], including the birth cohort examined 1986–1987 at age 85 [17]. Several studies report that BP starts to decline many years before dementia onset [14], and continues to decrease during the progression of the disease, which is in line with the association between BP and severity of dementia observed in our study.…”

“…Thereafter, BP starts to decline in those who develop dementia, and individuals with manifest dementia have generally lower BP compared to individuals without dementia [14]. The reason why BP decreases in individuals with dementia might be that several brain areas are involved in BP regulation [15,16], and that these brain areas may be affected by the neurodegenerative changes of dementia disorders [17]. In addition, observational studies report that antihypertensive treatment is related to a lower risk of late-life dementia [7,9,18].…”

The renin-angiotensin system, hypertension and cognitive dysfunction in alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic potential

“…They suggest that the low blood pressure observed prior to the diagnosis of AD is a result of the brain lesions of the disease itself (1). Several of the brain regions involved in central blood pressure regulation (hypothalamus, amygdala, insular cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, locus ceruleus, parabrachial nucleus, pons, and medulla oblongata) are affected in AD (49,50). Impairment of cerebral blood flow regulation and cerebral hypoperfusion might contribute to the development of AD (1,17,18).…”

A Population-Based Study on Blood Pressure and Brain Atrophy in 85-Year-Olds

“…6,7 We also confirmed previous reports 12,27 that systolic and diastolic blood pressure is lower in individuals with manifest Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia than in nondemented individuals and that blood pressure decreases with dementia severity. These findings are supported by reports that blood pressure declines in the years preceding dementia onset 11 and further declines during the course of Alzheimer's disease.…”

“…With increasing age, the prevalence of cerebral disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia increases, 4 but cerebral changes also occur in normal aging. 5 Several brain areas suggested to have a role in blood pressure regulation [6][7][8] are affected in Alzheimer's disease 9 and in normal aging. 5 Brain disorders may thus also contribute to the decrease in blood pressure observed in the very elderly.…”

Time trends in the relation between blood pressure and dementia in 85-year-olds

“…Dementia disorders may affect areas of the brain involved in central blood-pressure regulation, such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, locus coeruleus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, dorsolateral pons and the nucleus ambiguus in medulla oblongata [47]. In support of this, brain atrophy has been reported to associate with lower BP in normal aged people [15,16], including the birth cohort examined 1986–1987 at age 85 [17]. Several studies report that BP starts to decline many years before dementia onset [14], and continues to decrease during the progression of the disease, which is in line with the association between BP and severity of dementia observed in our study.…”

“…Thereafter, BP starts to decline in those who develop dementia, and individuals with manifest dementia have generally lower BP compared to individuals without dementia [14]. The reason why BP decreases in individuals with dementia might be that several brain areas are involved in BP regulation [15,16], and that these brain areas may be affected by the neurodegenerative changes of dementia disorders [17]. In addition, observational studies report that antihypertensive treatment is related to a lower risk of late-life dementia [7,9,18].…”

The renin-angiotensin system, hypertension and cognitive dysfunction in alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic potential

“…They suggest that the low blood pressure observed prior to the diagnosis of AD is a result of the brain lesions of the disease itself (1). Several of the brain regions involved in central blood pressure regulation (hypothalamus, amygdala, insular cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, locus ceruleus, parabrachial nucleus, pons, and medulla oblongata) are affected in AD (49,50). Impairment of cerebral blood flow regulation and cerebral hypoperfusion might contribute to the development of AD (1,17,18).…”

A Population-Based Study on Blood Pressure and Brain Atrophy in 85-Year-Olds

“…6,7 We also confirmed previous reports 12,27 that systolic and diastolic blood pressure is lower in individuals with manifest Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia than in nondemented individuals and that blood pressure decreases with dementia severity. These findings are supported by reports that blood pressure declines in the years preceding dementia onset 11 and further declines during the course of Alzheimer's disease.…”

“…With increasing age, the prevalence of cerebral disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia increases, 4 but cerebral changes also occur in normal aging. 5 Several brain areas suggested to have a role in blood pressure regulation [6][7][8] are affected in Alzheimer's disease 9 and in normal aging. 5 Brain disorders may thus also contribute to the decrease in blood pressure observed in the very elderly.…”

Time trends in the relation between blood pressure and dementia in 85-year-olds

“…Dementia disorders may affect areas of the brain involved in central blood-pressure regulation, such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, locus coeruleus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, dorsolateral pons and the nucleus ambiguus in medulla oblongata [47]. In support of this, brain atrophy has been reported to associate with lower BP in normal aged people [15,16], including the birth cohort examined 1986–1987 at age 85 [17]. Several studies report that BP starts to decline many years before dementia onset [14], and continues to decrease during the progression of the disease, which is in line with the association between BP and severity of dementia observed in our study.…”

“…Thereafter, BP starts to decline in those who develop dementia, and individuals with manifest dementia have generally lower BP compared to individuals without dementia [14]. The reason why BP decreases in individuals with dementia might be that several brain areas are involved in BP regulation [15,16], and that these brain areas may be affected by the neurodegenerative changes of dementia disorders [17]. In addition, observational studies report that antihypertensive treatment is related to a lower risk of late-life dementia [7,9,18].…”

The renin-angiotensin system, hypertension and cognitive dysfunction in alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic potential

“…They suggest that the low blood pressure observed prior to the diagnosis of AD is a result of the brain lesions of the disease itself (1). Several of the brain regions involved in central blood pressure regulation (hypothalamus, amygdala, insular cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, locus ceruleus, parabrachial nucleus, pons, and medulla oblongata) are affected in AD (49,50). Impairment of cerebral blood flow regulation and cerebral hypoperfusion might contribute to the development of AD (1,17,18).…”