EIL,,
Delhi,,
In the elderly persons with high blood pressure further fluctuations and spikes in blood pressure readings can affect their ability to think clearly and other cognitive functions, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India. As per a North Carolina State University study, in people whose systolic blood pressure is 130 mm Hg or above, the cognitive functions gets impaired on days when their blood pressure spikes and fluctuates. On the other hand in people with normal blood pressure the cognitive functions do not get impaired if their blood pressure spikes or fluctuates. The carry home message is that if you have blood pressure that wildly fluctuates and you also have underlying high blood pressure, you might be in double trouble for poorer cognitive functioning. Several studies in the past have found a link between high blood pressure and dementia, which is marked by a loss of memory and other cognitive abilities, including the ability to speak, identify objects or think abstractly. In another study it was found that treating high blood pressure in the very elderly may help reduce their risk of developing dementia.
