Postural hypotension linked to higher risk of dementia
According to scientists, people who experience frequent drops in blood pressure or dizziness when suddenly standing up may have an increased risk of dementia. They also suggest in a new study that less blood reaches the brain during these moments which may lead to brain cell damage over time.
Dementia experts say this is a “robust study” and “plausible explanation” that needs further investigation. Although the work still adds to growing evidence that changes in blood pressure have an impact on the brain.
High blood pressure has already been to types of dementia in previous studies. But in this paper,the focus was on transient periods of low blood pressure, also known as postural hypotension, which become more common in older age.These episodes can sometimes leave people feeling dizzy or give them “head rushes” when standing up suddenly.
Researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center, in the Netherlands, tracked 6,000 people for an average of 15 years.They found those who suffered repeated periods of low blood pressure on standing were more likely to develop dementia in the years that followed.
Researcher Dr.Arfan Ikram said: “Even though the effect can be seen as subtle – with an increased risk of about 4% for people with postural hypotension compared to those without it – so many people suffer from postural hypotension as they get older that it could have a significant impact on the burden of dementia across the world.”
In an interview, he encouraged people who experience frequent episodes of dizziness on standing, particularly as they got older, to visit their GPs for advice. But he added that young people, who have one-off episodes of dizziness when standing up because of dehydration for example, should not be unduly worried.
Professor Tom Dening, from Nottingham University, described the research as “an important study”.”The suggestion is that feeling dizzy, which results from a fall in blood pressure, may interfere with the circulation of blood round the brain and that over time, this causes damage which may contribute to dementia,” he said.
But he also added that a dizzy spell or a drop in blood pressure is not a death sentence and doesn’t mean that an individual will certainly develop dementia. He urges people who frequently experience these dizzy spells to see a doctor to find out if it is just caused be remediable causes, like taking a certain medication.
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