Maintaining Blood Pressure Below 120 mmHg Protects From Late-Life Dementia: Study

Lowering systolic blood pressure below the clinically safe threshold of 120 mmHg over time may slightly reduce an individual's risk of developing dementia, particularly among Black and Latino groups. (Credit: image by senivpetro on Freepik)

Having hypertension is a significant risk factor for developing dementia. Only 25% of Americans with high blood pressure have it under control, a figure that drops further among Black and Hispanic individuals due to barriers in diagnosis and treatment.

Most research on reducing dementia risk through blood pressure control has focused on white participants, despite the disproportionately high risk among Black and Latino populations. The researchers of a new study aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by examining the effects of blood pressure control on dementia risk within these underrepresented groups.