Re: Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

[Guest guest]

Here's a recent thing:

Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

July 8, 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A fall in systolic blood pressure (SBP) of at least 15 mmHg appears to predict the development of Alzheimer's disease or dementia in elderly subjects with low blood pressure or vascular disease, new research suggests."Our findings imply that poor blood flow in the brain, resulting from an extensive decline in blood pressure, may promote the dementia process," lead author Dr. Chengxuan Qiu, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said in a statement. The findings, which appear in the July 2nd online issue of Stroke, are based on a study of 947 community-dwelling elderly adults who were dementia-free at baseline in 1987. Blood pressure and dementia status were assessed at follow-up visits that occurred about every 3 years.From 3 years before dementia diagnosis and afterward, a marked drop in blood pressure was observed, the investigators report. In contrast, no substantial decline was seen 6 to 3 years before diagnosis.However, among subjects with a baseline SBP of <160 mmHg or with vascular disease, a 15-mmHg or greater drop in blood pressure during this period raised the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and dementia by about threefold. For subjects with vascular disease, the dementia risk was directly related to the drop in blood pressure. "These findings indicate a possible threshold level in systolic pressure, especially for people with vascular disease in whom further reduction of blood pressure under this level may precipitate dementia onset," Dr. Qiu said. "Using antihypertensive medications is important for high blood pressure and related disorders, but our findings suggest that it is necessary to monitor these drugs in the very old to avoid a probable dangerous drop of blood pressure under a certain threshold," Qiu added.Stroke 2004;35.

Regards

[Guest guest]

hmmm perhaps there is such a thing as too low BP. :-)

There are no doubt several mechanisms for elevated BP but probably somewhere in there is one that higher BP is needed to get blood to important tissue somewhere. If BP is artificially lowered by drug intervention without correcting the reason for it being elevated in the first place you may prevent one problem while causing another.

This is pretty much speculation on my part and triggered by but not strictly related to the below story. The body is a complex mechanism with numerous interactions. Be careful about micro-managing any metric without full understanding of possible side effects. BTW anyone who thinks they fully understand the human body are full of..... themselves.

The law of unintended consequences is alive and well..

JR

-----Original Message-----From: jwwright [mailto:jwwright@...]Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 12:01 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

Here's a recent thing:

Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

July 8, 2004

________________________________________________________

This email has been scanned by Internet Pathway's Email

Gateway scanning system for potentially harmful content,

such as viruses or spam. Nothing out of the ordinary was

detected in this email. For more information, call

601-776-3355 or email support@...

________________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi JW:

Very interesting!!! Of course there is the issue of which (if

either) is the cause and which the effect. But further research into

this will be well worth following. It is a sudden unexplained drop

in BP in the three years before diagnosis that seems to be the

problem, not a long-established low level. Thanks.

Rodney.

--- In , " jwwright " <jwwright@e...>

wrote:

> Here's a recent thing:

>

> Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

>

>

> July 8, 2004

>

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A fall in systolic blood pressure (SBP)

of at least 15 mmHg appears to predict the development of Alzheimer's

disease or dementia in elderly subjects with low blood pressure or

vascular disease, new research suggests.

>

> " Our findings imply that poor blood flow in the brain, resulting

from an extensive decline in blood pressure, may promote the dementia

process, " lead author Dr. Chengxuan Qiu, from the Karolinska

Institutet in Stockholm, said in a statement.

>

> The findings, which appear in the July 2nd online issue of Stroke,

are based on a study of 947 community-dwelling elderly adults who

were dementia-free at baseline in 1987. Blood pressure and dementia

status were assessed at follow-up visits that occurred about every 3

years.

>

> From 3 years before dementia diagnosis and afterward, a marked drop

in blood pressure was observed, the investigators report. In

contrast, no substantial decline was seen 6 to 3 years before

diagnosis.

>

> However, among subjects with a baseline SBP of <160 mmHg or with

vascular disease, a 15-mmHg or greater drop in blood pressure during

this period raised the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and dementia

by about threefold. For subjects with vascular disease, the dementia

risk was directly related to the drop in blood pressure.

>

> " These findings indicate a possible threshold level in systolic

pressure, especially for people with vascular disease in whom further

reduction of blood pressure under this level may precipitate dementia

onset, " Dr. Qiu said.

>

> " Using antihypertensive medications is important for high blood

pressure and related disorders, but our findings suggest that it is

necessary to monitor these drugs in the very old to avoid a probable

dangerous drop of blood pressure under a certain threshold, " Qiu

added.

>

> Stroke 2004;35.

>

>

> Regards

[Guest guest]

There's another study that says if you're BP dropped too much at night, the retinas can be damaged. It had to do with beta blockers.

An overriding thing is the meds can lower BP too much and make you feel like dying. They cause sore muscles, dizziness, lowered sex life, and numerous less important things. So my rule is to get BP down as low as possible and still feel alive. That was 135/85 initially, in my case. Then I went to work on diet, weightloss, exercise, low sodium, and allergies. That brought the "workable" BP down to 125/78.

If I wake at 111/65 I know I'm too low - over medicated. That's for now. Maybe with lower weight, and a change in arterial fat, eg., if that happens, a lower "workable" pressure is seen. I seriously doubt it. There is a reason for BP to be high - that's where the system wants it. But the system doesn't know about strokes.

I'm sure I'm not the first to delve into HTN that deeply, but I may be one of few to have it and work it aggressively for 14yrs.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: john roberts

Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 1:09 PM

Subject: RE: [ ] Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

hmmm perhaps there is such a thing as too low BP. :-)

There are no doubt several mechanisms for elevated BP but probably somewhere in there is one that higher BP is needed to get blood to important tissue somewhere. If BP is artificially lowered by drug intervention without correcting the reason for it being elevated in the first place you may prevent one problem while causing another.

This is pretty much speculation on my part and triggered by but not strictly related to the below story. The body is a complex mechanism with numerous interactions. Be careful about micro-managing any metric without full understanding of possible side effects. BTW anyone who thinks they fully understand the human body are full of..... themselves.

The law of unintended consequences is alive and well..

JR

-----Original Message-----From: jwwright [mailto:jwwright@...]Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 12:01 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

Here's a recent thing:

Drop in blood pressure predicts Alzheimer's disease

[Guest guest]

Another aspect/idea on high B/P. remeber when personality

types A, B and C were in vogue. Wasn't the type A personality

supposed to be prone to heart attacks/high B/P ? I can think of

some of my past aquaintances who I would have said were type

A's. They would get apoplectic where someone else would be

unconcerned about some happening. Just a thought.

Canary Peg